Official Residences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the current occupants make towards the running costs of each; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment at each was in 2003–04.

Hilary Benn: DFID currently owns 11 domestic properties overseas, in Zimbabwe (3), Solomon Islands (1), and Malawi (7). DFID also provides approximately 450 UK-based staff posted overseas with commercially leased accommodation. DFID does not pay for flowers and plants, food, wine, or domestic staff, all of which are the responsibility of the occupier. Individuals receive a cost of living allowance, and where appropriate a gardening allowance, in respect of the additional costs incurred of living overseas, and these allowances vary depending on location.
	Official expenditure on business phone calls and utilities are met from individual delegated budgets but are not separately identifiable and this detailed information cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost. Similarly, information on the individual occupancy of each of the overseas properties, and the overall cost to DFID, are not held centrally and cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate cost.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State, Department for International Development what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimate of cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Hilary Benn: pursuant to the reply, 10 February 2005, Official Report, c. 1642W
	The correct figure for expenditure on advertising for 2003–04 was £676,649 and the estimated figure for 2004–05 is £663,591.
	It was originally stated that the expenditure on advertising for 2004–05, which was then believed to be higher than that for 2003–04, reflected a higher number of posts being advertised in 2004–05. On re-examination this is incorrect. The number of recruitment competitions for which advertisements were placed was in fact slightly more in 2003–04 than the number to date in 2004–05.

Consultants

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total expenditure by his Department on external consultants was in (a) 1996–97 and (b) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of employing external consultants will be in (i) 2004–05, (ii) 2005–06, (iii) 2006–07 and (iv) 2007–08.

Stephen Timms: The Treasury's spending on external consultants was as follows:
	
		
			£ million 
			  Revenue Capital Total 
		
		
			 1996–97 1.03 n/a 1.03 
			 2003–04 6.16 0.44 6.60 
			 2004–05(1) 6.04 0.60 6.64 
		
	
	n/a=not available
	(1) estimated
	Until the introduction of resource accounting from 2001–02, all expenditure was classed as revenue.
	Estimates for future years are not available.
	It has come to my attention that the answer I gave to the hon. Members for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis) and Stratford on Avon (Mr. Maples) on 25 October 2004, Official Report, column 1055W, was inaccurate in the following respect. The answer stated that the capital consultancy spend of the Treasury was £0.78 million in 2002–03 and £1.40 million in 2003–04. The correct figures are £0.84 million in 2002–03 and £0.44 million in 2003–04. I apologise to the hon. Members for the error.

Death Rates

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury has been in each year since 1986 for (a) men, (b) women and (c) in total.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr Andrew Lansley, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what the death rate from suicide and undetermined injury has been in each year since 1986 for (a) men, (b) women and (c) in total. (216167)
	The most recent available figures on suicide and undetermined injury are for the calendar year 2003. The figures in the attached table show the age-standardised mortality rate for suicide and undetermined injury by sex among those aged 15 and over for the calendar years 1986 to 2003.
	
		Age-standardised mortality rate(2) for ages 15 and over from suicide(3) and injury and poisoning of undetermined intent,(4)(a) men, (b) women and (c) persons, England and Wales,1986 to 2003(5) Rate per 100,000
		
			 Calendar year (a) Men (b) Women (c)Persons 
		
		
			 1986 19.7 8.5 13.9 
			 1987 19.6 8.0 13.6 
			 1988 21.1 8.0 14.3 
			 1989 19.2 7.0 12.9 
			 1990 20.4 6.8 13.4 
			 1991 20.5 6.5 13.3 
			 1992 20.4 6.4 13.2 
			 1993 19.4 6.1 12.6 
			 1994 19.3 5.6 12.3 
			 1995 19.1 5.9 12.3 
			 1996 18.0 5.6 11.7 
			 1997 18.4 5.7 11.9 
			 1998 19.4 5.5 12.3 
			 1999 19.2 5.7 12.3 
			 2000 17.8 5.7 11.6 
			 2001 17.1 5.1 11.0 
			 2002 16.7 5.3 10.9 
			 2003 16.5 5.2 10.7 
		
	
	(2) Directly age-standardised to the European standard population.
	(3) The cause of death for intentional self harm was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (1CD-9) codes E950-E959for the years 1986 to 2000, and, for the years 2001 to 2003, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes X60-X84.
	(4) The cause of death for injury and poisoning of undetermined intent was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (1CD-9) codes E980-E989 excluding E9 88.8 for the years 1986 to 2000, and, for the years 2001 to 2003, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes YJO-Y34 excluding Y33.9-where the Coroner's verdict was pending.
	(5) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year from 1986 to 1992 and for deaths occurring in each calendar year from 1993 onwards.

Labour Statistics

Parmjit Gill: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in full-time employment in Leicester, South constituency in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Parmjit Singh Gill, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment. (216940)
	The attached table gives estimates of those people resident in the Leicester, South parliamentary constituency who are in full-time employment for the 12-month periods ending February each year from 1997 to 2004.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to sampling variability.
	
		Full-time(6) employed people resident in theparliamentary constituency of Leicester, South
		
			 12-month period ending February each year Full-time employment 2 
		
		
			 1997 29,000 
			 1998 33,000 
			 1999 28,000 
			 2000 27,000 
			 2001 29,000 
			 2002 34,000 
			 2003 29,000 
			 2004 24,000 
		
	
	(6) Full-time is based on respondents self assessment.
	(7) LFS estimates for local areas are particularly subject to sampling variations. Changes from year-to-year should be treated with caution.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

Labour Statistics

Angela Eagle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in each ward of Wallasey constituency are (a) employed and (b) unemployed.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Ms Angela Eagle, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about employment and unemployment in each ward of Wallasey Parliamentary Constituency. (217334)
	Regular statistics of employment and unemployment are compiled from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) on the basis of standard international definitions. For individual wards the LFS sample size is too small to provide estimates, but information at ward level is available from the 2001 Population Census. Table 1 shows the information requested for people aged 16 to 74 from these sources.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics by ward of residence for people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA). Table 2 gives the number of JSA claimants resident in each of the wards of Wallasey Parliamentary Constituency in January 2005.
	
		Table 1: Employment and unemployment among people aged 16–74 resident in wards of the Wallaseyparliamentary constituency, 2001 Number
		
			  All people Employment Unemployment 
		
		
			 Wallasey PC 59,479 32,928 2,983 
			 Leasowe 8,793 4,374 565 
			 Liscard 10,146 5,499 547 
			 Moreton 9,123 5,385 311 
			 New Brighton 10,324 5,883 516 
			 Seacombe 10,243 5,109 675 
			 Wallasey 10,850 6,678 369 
		
	
	Source:
	2001 Census of Population
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants resident in the wards of Wallasey parliamentary constituency January 2005
		
			  Claimants 
		
		
			 Wards of Wallasey PCA(8) 1,854 
			 Wallasey 195 
			 Leasowe 373 
			 Liscard 341 
			 Moreton 169 
			 New Brighton 326 
			 Seacombe 450 
		
	
	(8) Based on 1991 frozen wards
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system

Labour Statistics

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many (a) people aged 16 to 24 years, (b) men and (c) people of working age in Bridgwater constituency were economically inactive in each year since 1997.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Ian Liddell-Grainger, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about Economic Inactivity. (217397)
	The attached table gives the information requested for groups of people resident in the Bridgwater Parliamentary Constituency who were economically inactive for the twelve month periods ending in February from 1997 to 2004.
	As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to sampling variability.
	
		Economic inactivity(9) among people resident in Bridgwater parliamentary constituency Number
		
			 12 months ending February each year Inactive 16–24 year olds Inactive men aged 16 and over Inactive population of working age 2 
		
		
			 1997 2,000 12,000 12,000 
			 1998 2,000 10,000 12,000 
			 1999 3,000 10,000 15,000 
			 2000 3,000 12,000 14,000 
			 2001 2,000 11,000 13,000 
			 2002 1,000 11,000 9,000 
			 2003 2,000 9,000 8,000 
			 2004 1,000 10,000 8,000 
		
	
	(9) People who are neither In employment nor unemployed
	(10) Working age refers to men aged 16 to 64 and women 16 to 59.
	Note:
	These estimates are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a very high degree of sampling variability. Changes from year to year, especially, should be treated with caution
	Source:
	ONS-Labour Force Survey

Labour Statistics

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment was in (a) Chorley, (b) Lancashire and (c) the North West in (i) 1997, (ii) 2003 and (iii) 2005; what percentage were (A) male and (B) female; and what percentage were under (1) 21, (2) 30 and (3) 60 years.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment in Chorley, Lancashire and the North West.
	Table 1 gives estimates of the levels of all unemployed people resident in the Chorley Parliamentary Constituency, County of Lancashire, and the North West Region. Proportions are given by gender, and who were: aged under 20; aged under 30; and aged under 60 for the 12-month periods ending November 1997, 2002 and 2004.Estimates have not been given for people aged under 21, as this breakdown is not available for all years.
	These estimates from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) are, as with any statistical sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	The Office for National Statistics also compiles statistics of those claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for local areas. Table 2 gives the annual average number of people resident in each of the areas specified claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) benefits. The table also shows the proportions of these totals who were aged under 20, aged under 30; and aged under 60 analysed by gender. Estimates are not available for people aged under 21.
	
		Table 1: Unemployed people resident in the Chorley parliamentary constituency, Lancashire and the North West
		
			 12-month period ending February Chorley PCA 1 Lancashire North West 
		
		
			 1997
			 Total unemployment 3,000 40,000 155,000 
			 
			 Male unemployment 50.7 62.8 62.4 
			 Female unemployment 49.3 37.2 37.6 
			 
			 Under 20 (12)— 14.9 15.8 
			 Under 30 49.4 51.9 49.9 
			 Under 60 100.0 95.6 97.6 
			 2003
			 Total unemployment (12)— 28,000 106,000 
			 
			 Male unemployment (12)— 55.0 64.3 
			 Female unemployment (12)— 45.0 35.7 
			 
			 Under 20 (12)— 19.5 20.0 
			 Under 30 (12)— 50.3 48.3 
			 Under 60 (12)— 99.5 98.8 
			 
			 2004
			 Total unemployment 1,000 29,000 94,000 
			 
			 Male unemployment (12)— 60.7 62.7 
			 Female unemployment (12)— 39.3 37.3 
			 
			 Under 20 (12)— 26.3 23.6 
			 Under 30 (12)— 47.0 46.8 
			 Under 60 100.0 98.5 97.3 
		
	
	(11) These estimates are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a very high degree of sampling variability. Changes from year to year, especially, should be treated with caution.
	(12) Estimates not shown as they are potentially disclosive.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey
	
		Table 2: JSA claimants resident in Chorleyparliamentary constituency, Lancashire and the North West
		
			 Annual average Chorley PCA Lancashire North West 
		
		
			 1997
			 Total claimants (number) 1,680 21,645 193,065 
			 
			 Percentage
			 Male claimants 77.1 77.3 78.2 
			 Female claimants 22.9 22.7 21.7 
			 
			 Under 20 9.3 9.8 9.9 
			 Under 30 44.0 45.3 46.4 
			 Under 60 99.3 99.1 99.4 
			 
			 2003
			 Total claimants (number) 910 13,070 112,335 
			 
			 Percentage
			 Male claimants 74.2 75.9 77.0 
			 Female claimants 25.8 24.1 23.0 
			 
			 Under 20 13.6 12.8 12.5 
			 Under 30 44.7 44.8 45.1 
			 Under 60 98.5 98.8 99.1 
			 
			 2004
			 Total claimants (number) 820 11,980 99,940 
			 
			 Percentage
			 Male claimants 73.2 75.1 76.1 
			 Female claimants 26.8 24.9 23.9 
			 
			 Under 20 13.0 13.0 13.0 
			 Under 30 45.1 45.1 45.8 
			 Under 60 98.6 99.0 99.1 
		
	
	Note:
	Age breakdown is analysed by computer.
	Source:
	Jobcentre Plus Administrative system claims only.

Labour Statistics

Lorna Fitzsimons: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of unemployment was in (a) Rochdale and (b) the North West in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2004; and what percentage were (A) female and (B) male.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Ms Lorna Fitzsimons, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about unemployment. (217300)
	The attached table gives estimates of the number and percentage of unemployed people who were resident in Rochdale and the North West, for the 12-month periods ending February 1997 and 2004.
	These estimates from Labour Force Survey are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		Unemployment among residents of Rochdale UA and theNorth West,12 months ending February 1997 and 2004
		
			 12 months ending Rochdale unitary  authority(13) North west region 
			 February Level Percent(14) Level Percent(14) 
		
		
			 1997 
			 Total unemployed 7,000 100 246,000 100 
			 Male 5,000 72.5 157,000 64.1 
			 Female 2,000 27.5 88,000 35.9 
			  
			 2004 
			 Total unemployed 6,000 100 155,000 100 
			 Male 4,000 61.6 95,000 61.6 
			 Female 2,000 38.4 59,000 38.4 
		
	
	(13) These estimates are based on very small sample sizes and are subject to a very high degree of sampling variability. Changes from year to year, especially, should be treated with caution.
	Source:
	ONS-Labour Force Survey

Regional Statistics

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which local authorities fall within Nomenclature of Units for Territorial Statistics (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mrs. Caroline Spelman, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking which local authorities fall within NUTS (a) 1, (b) 2 and (c) 3. (216560)
	The current relationships between local authority districts and NUTS levels 1, 2 and 3 are contained in the Gazetteer of the old and new geographies of the United Kingdom (ISBN 1 85774 298 2) published by the Office for National Statistics in 1999. The publication can be viewed on the National Statistics website, and can be downloaded in pdf format at: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/geography/gazetteer.asp
	The relationships between the local authority districts and the NUTS 1–3 levels are shown in tabular form on pages 10–40, and the full NUTS 1–3 classification with maps, is shown on pages 88–113.
	Since local government reorganisation in 1998, there have been minor changes to local authority district boundaries in Wales in April 2002 and April 2003, and in Scotland in June 2002. However, these have not impacted on the NUTS 1–3 areas because the NUTS boundaries moved to retain the relationships. There have not been any local authority district boundary changes in England since 1998 or in Northern Ireland since 1973.
	The NUTS 1–3 areas were frozen by EU Regulation in July 2003 and, in consequence, the small change in the boundary between Powys and Neath Port Talbot, effective on 1 April 2005, will result in part of Powys falling within "Bridgend and Neath Port Talbot" NUTS 3 area, and within "West Wales and the Valleys" NUTS 2 area. There are no other local authority district boundary changes being effected in the UK in 2005.
	The EU Regulation does not permit the NUTS classification to be amended to reflect small changes to administrative area boundaries more frequently than every 3 years but amendments can be made at lesser intervals if the administrative structure is substantially reorganised.

Tax Credits

Bill Tynan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what monitoring his Department is carrying out to ensure that the Tax Credit Office liaises with those individuals who are required to repay overpayments and who await the outcome of their application concerning the reconsideration of recovery of tax credits, to ensure that the repayments are affordable;
	(2)  whether the Inland Revenue liaises with individuals who have accrued overpayments of tax credits in order to agree a level of affordable repayment.

Stephen Timms: The Inland Revenue regularly assesses and reviews its procedures for recovering tax credit overpayments. Their Code of Practice 26 "What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?" explains that where a claimant has been paid too much they will normally be expected to pay back the overpayment. It describes a number of measures the Revenue has put in place to protect against hardship being caused by the recovery of an overpayment. A copy is available on the Inland Revenue website at http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/leaflets/cop26.htm

Women (Dismissals/Redundancies)

Keith Vaz: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many women were (a) dismissed and (b) made redundant in each year between 1997 and 2004.

Stephen Timms: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.
	Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Keith Vaz, dated 22 February 2005
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about redundancies and dismissals of women in the UK between 1997 and 2004. (215474)
	The attached table gives estimates of those women dismissed or made redundant in the 12-month periods ending in November each year for the years 1997 to 2004. Estimates are from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in which respondents are asked about whether they have been dismissed or made redundant in the three months prior to their survey interview.
	As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
	
		Women who were dismissed or made redundant(16) Number
		
			 12 months ending November Dismissed Made Redundant 
		
		
			 1997 50,000 216,000 
			 1998 48,000 227,000 
			 1999 52,000 250,000 
			 2000 46,000 254,000 
			 2001 36,000 246,000 
			 2002 36,000 259,000 
			 2003 35,000 222,000 
			 2004 38,000 208,000 
		
	
	(16) Based on responses to the LFS about dismissals and redundancies experienced in the three months prior to being interviewed.
	Source:
	ONS Labour Force Survey

General Practitioners

Stephen McCabe: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines he issues on standardisation of computer equipment used by general practitioners.

John Hutton: "Requirements For Accreditation" (RFA) specify a core set of requirements for primary care computer systems which all general practitioner systems must be capable of performing. The RFA process, first introduced in April 1993, is operated by the NHS Information Authority, which is the sole provider of accreditation testing services.

Dentistry

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were registered with a NHS dentist in (a) each Government office region and (b) each parliamentary constituency in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested on registrations by Government regional office is shown in the table.
	
		Registrations by Government regional office—September 1997 to September 2004
		
			 Regional code Regional office name  Data GDS contract PDS contract 
		
		
			 Y41 North East Cluster 1997 4,566,672 0 
			   1998 4,112,309 0 
			   1999 4,117,129 0 
			   2000 4,192,609 336 
			   2001 4,142,997 3,895 
			   2002 4,112,027 15,250 
			   2003 4,129,295 20,881 
			   2004 3,708,273 335,413 
			  
			 Y42 North West and 1997 6,985,233 0 
			  West Midlands 1998 6,143,868 0 
			   1999 6,136,972 61,253 
			   2000 6,153 ,516 87,919 
			   2001 6,074,349 104,390 
			   2002 6,028,081 136,535 
			   2003 5,999,217 140,830 
			   2004 4,980,764 1,093,200 
			  
			 Y43 Eastern Cluster 1997 5,306,335 0 
			   1998 4,782,355 0 
			   1999 4,876,903 2,371 
			   2000 5,010,484 4,329 
			   2001 4,943,102 5,178 
			   2002 4,953,229 22,740 
			   2003 4,973,857 28,536 
			   2004 4,807,586 96,117 
			  
			 Y44 Southern Cluster 1997 6,631,532 0 
			   1998 5,823,594 0 
			   1999 5,873,973 3,261 
			   2000 5,971,245 6,686 
			   2001 5,927,497 16,261 
			   2002 5,844,976 52,218 
			   2003 5,844,315 56,428 
			   2004 5,259,470 326,183 
			  
			 Y45 London Cluster 1997 3,614,103 0 
			   1998 3,005,724 0 
			   1999 2,974,168 41,001 
			   2000 3,025,344 42,992 
			   2001 3,001,930 46,084 
			   2002 2,982,202 38,960 
			   2003 3,030,985 40,033 
			   2004 2,906,464 97,666 
			  
			  Total 1997 27,103,875 0 
			   1998 23,867,850 0 
			   1999 23,979,145 107,886 
			   2000 24,353,198 142,262 
			   2001 24,089,875 175,808 
			   2002 23,920,515 265,703 
			   2003 23,977,669 286,708 
			   2004 21,662,557 1,948,579 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The drop in registrations between September 1997 and September 1998 is mostly attributable to the reduction in the re-registration period from two years to 15 months.
	2. The figures excludes patients treated in dental access centres who are not registered. In 2004 there were some 375,000 episodes of treatment in dental access centres.

Dentistry

Gerry Steinberg: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many dentists ceased providing NHS dental services in each of the last three years (a) in England and (b) within Durham and Chester-le-Street primary care trust;
	(2)  how many NHS patients were registered with a dentist in each of the last three years in (a) England and (b) Durham and Chester-le-Street primary care trust;
	(3)  how may NHS patients were unable to register with a dentist in each of the last three years in (a) England and (b) Durham and Chester-le-Street primary care trust.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not held on the number of dentists who ceased providing national health service dental services altogether. The Office of Fair Trading report, "The private dentistry market in the UK", published in March 2003, estimated that out of 11,000 dental practices nationally, only about 210 are totally private.
	The following table shows the number of dental patients registered with a general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) dentist in England, and Durham and Chester-le-Street primary care trust area, as at 30 September each year.
	
		
			  England Durham and Chester-le-Street PCT 
		
		
			 2002 24,217,483 65,122 
			 2003 24,295,652 65,504 
			 2004 23,639,904 58,962 
		
	
	Registrations in the GDS lapse if the patient has not returned to the dentist within 15 months. These figures do not include patients who get dental treatment without registration, for example in dental access centres.
	Information is not available on patients who are unable to register with a dentist, but we are undertaking a wide range of initiatives to improve access to NHS dentistry. In the Durham and Chester-le-Street PCT, a local dental access scheme has been developed at a cost of £65,770 from central funds. Under the scheme, 10 practices, which were not previously taking on new NHS patients, have been funded to provide an agreed number of new patient contacts. From September 2004, the scheme has delivered 1,000 additional NHS appointments and expects shortly to deliver a further 300 appointments. As a result, between late September and November, all patients seeking a NHS dentist should have been able to access occasional NHS dental treatment and, in addition, some were able to register with a NHS dentist.

South Gloucestershire PCT

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the funding of South Gloucestershire primary care trust.

Stephen Ladyman: The latest round of revenue allocations covering 2006–07 and 2007–08 was announced on 9 February 2005.
	South Gloucestershire primary care trust will receive funding of £250 million for 2006–07 and £275 million for 2007–08. These allocations include increases of £21 million, or 9.1 per cent., for 2006–07 and £25 million, or 10 per cent., for 2007–08.

New Community Hospitals

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's policies on the construction of new or replacement community hospitals.

John Hutton: Decisions on service provision are best made at a local level, which is why "Keeping the NHS Local" was published in February 2003. This guidance covers service expansion and redesign. The NHS will need to follow it when considering the role of community hospitals.

Ambulances

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) ambulances and (b) paramedic staff the Lancashire Ambulance Trust has; and what the average time taken to respond to a 999 call was in each Lancashire district in the last period for which figures are available.

Melanie Johnson: Performance information is available by ambulance service and may be found in the statistical bulletin, "Ambulance Services, England: 2003–04", a copy of which is available in the Library. It is also available on the Department's website at http://www.publications.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0411 .htm.
	Information relating to the numbers of paramedic staff is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Headcount 
		
		
			 Total qualified ambulance staff 552 
			 Manager 23 
			 Paramedic 198 
			 Ambulance personnel 331 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health non-medical workforce census.

Catering Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent on (a) entertainment lunches involving civil servants and guests and (b) working lunches, in each year since 1997.

Rosie Winterton: Expenditure arises on hospitality and entertainment only in the context of promoting the Department's business objectives. All such expenditure is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in "Government Accounting".
	There has been no expenditure on entertainment lunches involving civil servants and guests. The amount spent by the Department on working lunches since 1997 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Amount (£) 
		
		
			 1997–98 379,089 
			 1998–99 493,024 
			 1999–2000 607,370 
			 2000–01 580,449 
			 2001–02 523,338 
			 2002–03 633,875 
			 2003–04 863,404

Departmental Policies

Gwyn Prosser: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the South Thanet constituency, the effects of changes to the Department's policy since 1997 on the South Thanet constituency;
	(2)  if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to the Dover constituency, the effects of changes to the Department's policies since 1997 on the Dover constituency.

Rosie Winterton: The Government have put in place a programme of national health service investment and reform since 1997 to improve service delivery in all parts of the United Kingdom. There is significant evidence that these policies have yielded considerable benefits for the South Thanet and Dover areas.
	For example:
	At the end of November 2004, the number of people waiting more than nine months for inpatient treatment within East Kent Coastal Primary Care Trust (PCT) has fallen to zero from 834 in June 2002.
	At the end of September 2004, the number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for outpatient treatment within East Kent Coastal PCT has fallen to 341 from 1,033 in June 2002.
	Between September 1999 and June 2004, the number of consultants at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust has increased from 201 to 254. The number of nurses increased from 2,151 in September 1999 to 2,461 in September 2003.
	Figures for December 2004 show that 100 per cent, of patients within East Kent Coastal PCT are able to be offered an appointment with a primary care professional within two working days.
	In the South Thanet local authority (LA) area, death rates from cancer per 100,000 population have fallen from 214.2 in 1997 to 210.1 in 2003. In the Dover local authority area, death rates from cancer per 100,000 have fallen from 204.1 in 1997 to 198.1 in 2003.
	In the South Thanet LA area, death rates from coronary heart disease per 100,000 population have fallen from 149.3 in 1997 to 122.5 in 2003. In the Dover LA area, death rates from coronary heart disease per 100,000 population have fallen from 149.8 in 1997 to 122.5 in 2003.
	East Kent Coastal PCT has received an allocation of £256.5 million in 2004–05. In the recently announced PCT allocations for 2006–07 and 2007–08, East Kent Coastal PCT will receive an increase of £27.4 million in 2006–07 and 32.1 million in 2007–08. This is a total increase of 18.7 per cent. over the two years. By 2007–08, East Kent Coastal PCT will receive an allocation of £362.5 million.

Digital Hearing Aids

John Butterfill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects on patients of waiting times for assessments for digital hearing aids in Bournemouth west; what proposals he has to help the Bournemouth teaching primary care trust to reduce this time; what steps he is taking to increase the number of audiologists; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Information relating to the waiting times for patients waiting for assessments for digital hearing aids is not collected centrally.
	In line with our policy of "Shifting the Balance of Power", it is now for primary care trusts (PCTs,) in partnership with strategic health authorities (SHAs) and other local stakeholders, to plan, develop and improve services for local people including audiology services.
	I am advised by Dorset and Somerset SHA that the Bournemouth PCT is making good progress with reducing waiting lists by increasing in-house activity, and using private providers under the public private partnership scheme.
	More generally, the modernising hearing aids services (MHAS) project is being managed on behalf of the Department by the Royal National Institute for the Deaf. Since September 2000, the MHAS project has been retaining audiologists and generally modernised services in a phased way to enable them to offer digital hearing aids to people who would benefit from them. The fourth and final wave should be complete by the end of March 2005.

Forensic Medical Examiners

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many female doctors are forensic medical examiners at the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS) : medical staff in Lancashire Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust within the pathology group of specialties—as at 30 September 2003 Number (headcount)
		
			 
			   of which: 
			  All staff Male Female 
		
		
			 All staff 18 9 9 
			 of which: 
			 Consultant 13 7 6 
		
	
	Source:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

Hospital Infections

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what is his Department's procedure for the use of new infection control technologies in the NHS following a recommendation from its Rapid Review Panel;
	(2)  what plans he has to publish the minutes of the meetings of the Rapid Review Panel;
	(3)  how many products have been recommended to his Department by the Rapid Review Panel for (a) development for use in the NHS or (b) trial in an NHS clinical setting;
	(4)  if he will publish the list of those products and treatments reviewed by the Rapid Review Panel since December 2003 that are now being used for infection control or cleaning purposes in NHS facilities;
	(5)  if he will publish a list detailing the number and name of all products which have submitted applications to the Rapid Review Panel for use in fighting infection in the NHS since the Panel's establishment;
	(6)  how many submissions the Rapid Review Panel has received for its review of products to aid cleanliness and fight infections in the NHS; when each submission was received; and for each submission, when the Rapid Review Panel reported its results.

Melanie Johnson: The Health Protection Agency rapid review panel assesses all products for which applications have been received from companies, provided the product falls within the panel's remit. There are currently 58 product reports available on the Health Protection Agency's website, together with the minutes of the panel meetings and a list of products reviewed by the panel. This information can be found at www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics az/rapid review/. A further 25 applications received since 13 January will be reviewed later this month. Information on those products awaiting review is not publicly available as information provided by applicants is regarded as commercial in confidence until the applications have been assessed.
	Of the 58 reports available on the panel's website so far, 19 contain recommendations for further research and development before the product is ready for evaluation and 10 contain recommendations for in-use evaluation/trial in a national health service clinical setting. Two products have been identified as showing benefits that should be available to NHS bodies to use as appropriate. These products are being considered for inclusion in future workplans for the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (PASA) and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Information on which products are currently used in NHS facilities is not collected centrally.
	Where the rapid review panel suggests further work, it is generally the company's responsibility to organise this; the panel itself does not organise product evaluations. Some evaluations may be performed as part of normal PASA tendering exercises. Also, some products may be included in the Department's research and development programme for healthcare associated infection if it is thought they may have a particular impact in a priority area.

Lancashire Teaching Hospital

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for (a) doctors, (b) consultants and (c) nurses there are at the Lancashire teaching hospital; and for how long each vacancy has been unfilled.

Melanie Johnson: The information requested is shown in the following tables.
	
		Three month vacancy rate and number for all doctors (excluding doctors in training) inLancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust, March 2004
		
			 RXN Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust Three month vacancy rate percentage Three month vacancy number Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			  All 0.0 0 234 265 
			  Consultant 0.0 0 165 169 
			  Other doctors (excluding doctors in training) 0.0 0 68 96 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole-time equivalents).
	2. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
	3. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.
	4. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	5. * where the sum of the staff in post and number of vacancies is less then 10.
	6.—where the sum of the staff in post and number of vacancies is 0.
	Source:
	Department of Health Medical and Dental vacancy survey.
	
		Department of Health vacancies survey, March 2004—NHS three month vacancies in the Lancashire teaching hospital NHS trust for qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff; three month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post
		
			   March 2004 September 2003 
			   Three month vacancy rate percentage Three month vacancy number Staff in post (whole-time equivalent) Staff in post (headcount) 
		
		
			  England 2.6 7,508 291,925 364,692 
			  Of which: 
			 RXN Lancashire teaching hospitals NHS trust 0.0 0 1,533 1,928 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March each year.
	2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).
	3. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.
	4. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.
	5. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census.
	Sources:
	Department of Health Vacancies Survey
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

Mental Health

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) medical staff and (b) non-medical staff employed in mental health services there have been in the NHS in England in each year since 1986, broken down by (i) general psychiatrists, (ii) child and adolescent psychiatrists, (iii) forensic psychiatrists, (iv) learning disabilities consultants, (v) old age psychiatrists, (vi) psychotherapists, (vii) psychiatric nurses, (viii) clinical psychologists, (ix) art, music and drama therapists, (x) occupational therapists, (xi) social workers and (xii) other.

John Hutton: The information requested is shown in the tables.
	
		Hospital, Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services (HCHS): medical consultants(17)within the psychiatry group of specialities by speciality, England 2 Number (headcount)
		
			  1996 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 
		
		
			 Psychiatry group 1780 1,802 1,899 1,912 2,010 2,025 2,036 2,071 2,099 2,267 
			 Of which:   
			 Child and adolescent psychiatry 348 339 349 343 373 364 340 363 358 377 
			 Forensic psychiatry 47 40 68 50 72 71 80 82 82 93 
			 General Psychiatry(19) 1147 1,186 1,225 1,190 1,215 1,215 1,246 1,230 1,246 1,322 
			 Learning disabilities(20) 157 157 166 174 172 167 169 169 159 152 
			 Old age psychiatry 0 0 0 65 83 104 112 136 164 214 
			 Psychotherapy 91 80 91 90 96 104 89 91 90 109 
		
	
	
		
			  1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 June 2004 
		
		
			 Psychiatry group 2,306 2,447 2,627 2,808 2,904 2,959 2,979 3,229 3,483 
			 Of which:  
			 Child and adolescent psychiatry 411 445 462 486 481 486 459 505 541 
			 Forensic psychiatry 98 123 148 152 162 199 187 223 231 
			 General Psychiatry(19) 1,293 1,365 1,464 1,569 1,647 1,649 1,700 1,778 1,911 
			 Learning disabilities(20) 159 161 172 181 184 177 182 199 194 
			 Old age psychiatry 234 244 268 311 328 348 351 414 484 
			 Psychotherapy 111 109 113 109 102 100 100 110 122 
		
	
	(17) The data for 1986 shows consultants and shmo with allowance.
	(18) Data as at 30 September each year except 2004 which is at 30 June.
	(19) The figure for 1986 shows the number of consultants and shmo with allowance in the specialty of "Mental Illness'.
	(20) The figure for 1986 shows the number of consultants and shmo with allowance in the specialty of "Mental Handicap'.
	Source:
	Department of Health medical and dental workforce census
	
		MHS hospital and community health services: Non-medical staff working in the specified areas of work in England as at30 September each year
		
			  1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 
		
		
			 Total of specified staff(21) 95,301 94,779 96,552 97,525 60,013 61,646 61,882 58,641 57,567 
			   
			 Mental health nurses(22) 88,007 87,013 88,227 88,678 51,188 52,436 51,917 48,218 46,812 
			 Qualified learning disabilities nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a 14,177 14,166 13,276 12,563 11,817 
			 Qualified psychiatry nurses n/a n/a n/a n/a 37,011 38,270 38,641 35,655 34,995 
			 Psychotherapists 201 209 207 211 (23)— 223 289 280 290 
			 Clinical psychologists(23) 1,848 1,985 2,120 2,263 1,325 1,919 2,186 2,381 2,493 
			 Art/music/drama therapists(24) 206 228 355 381 389 425 450 468 482 
			 Qualified occupational therapists 5,039 5,344 5,643 5,992 6,241 6,643 7,040 7,294 7,490 
			 Qualified social services staff n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a 
		
	
	
		
			  1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 
		
		
			 Total of specified staff(21) 66,005 66,728 66,898 66,416 67,377 68,538 72,190 74,773 77,779 
			   
			 Mental health nurses(22) 50,994 50,932 50,220 48,877 48,922 49,026 51,315 52,204 53,678 
			 Qualified learning disabilities nurses 12,504 12,105 11,111 10,736 9,923 9,497 9,776 9,550 8,950 
			 Qualified psychiatry nurses 38,490 38,827 39,109 38,141 38,999 39,529 41,539 42,654 44,728 
			   
			 Psychotherapists 391 442 489 535 574 653 745 867 948 
			 Clinical psychologists(23) 3,330 3,658 4,038 4,408 4,572 5,032 5,514 6,092 6,757 
			 Art/music/drama therapists(24) 585 595 633 621 646 698 687 742 764 
			 Qualified occupational therapists 10,705 11,101 11,518 11,975 12,663 13,129 13,914 14,749 15,391 
			 Qualified social services staff 0 0 n/a n/a n/a n/a 15 119 241 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(21) Includes unqualified staff which cannot be separately identified.
	(22) Includes unqualified staff for 1986–89 which cannot be separately identified.
	(23) Includes unqualified staff for 1986–89 which cannot be separately identified.
	(24) Includes unqualified staff for 1986–1994 which cannot be separately identified.
	Note:
	A new system of occupation coding for NHS non-medical staff was introduced in 1995. The new codes classify staff according to what they do rather than the terms and conditions under which they are employed i.e. national payscales. Figures based on new occupation codes are not directly comparable with those based on the old payscale classification.
	Source:
	Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

NHS Staff

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average cost to the NHS of paying the salary of (a) a radiographer and (b) a radiologist was in the last year for which figures are available.

John Hutton: holding answer 3 February 2005
	The average cost of a radiographer in England is shown in the table. We cannot provide information regarding the earnings of radiologists as we do not hold medical and dental earnings data by specialty.
	
		Average cost of a radiographer in 2002 in England
		
			  
		
		
			 Mean cost of radiographer to national health service (25)£30,000 
		
	
	(25) Figure rounded to nearest £100.
	Note:
	Average cost is the average earnings of a Radiographer grossed up by 12 per cent., to represent "on-costs". The NHS earnings information is based on payroll data taken from a sample of approximately 50 per cent. of trusts during August 2002.
	Source:
	Department of Health NHS Earnings Survey

Patient and Public Involvement Forums

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Patient and Public Involvement Forums since their inception; and if he will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: holding answer 21 February 2005
	It is the responsibility of the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health rather than the Department to review the effectiveness of patients' forums and to report to the Secretary of State on that effectiveness.
	The Commission recently published a report, entitled "PPI Forum Activity Summary", which highlighted the valuable contributions made by patients' forums in their first year's activities.

Waiting Times (Middlesbrough)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for surgery on the NHS was for patients in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency in (a) 1997, (b) 2001 and (c) 2005.

Melanie Johnson: The information is not available at constituency level.
	The table shows the average (median) waiting time for elective patients where the patient was awaiting surgery at: South Tees Acute National Health Service Trust, South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, Middlesbrough Primary Care Trust (PCT) and Langbaurgh PCT for the years 1997–98, 2001–02 and 2003–04. Figures for 2004–05 are not yet available.
	
		Elective (waiting list and booked) cases with an operation; median time waited—1997–98, 2001–02 and 2003–04
		
			  Providers Median time waited (days) 
		
		
			 1997–98 South Tees Acute NHS Trust 41 
			 2001–02 South Tees Acute NHS Trust 39 
			 2003–04 Middlesbrough PCT, Langbaurgh PCT and South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust 50 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. A finished in-year admission is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider, excluding admissions beginning before 1 April at the start of the data year. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.
	2. Data quality—hospital episode statistics (HES) are compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS trusts and PCTs in England. The Department liaises closely with these organisations to encourage submission of complete and valid data and seeks to minimise inaccuracies and the effect of missing and invalid data via HES processes. While this brings about improvement over time, some shortcomings remain.
	3. Figures have not been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data are ungrossed).
	4. Time waited statistics from HES are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between the admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.
	Source:
	HES, Department of Health.

Ministerial Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on official ministerial (a) business cards, (b) headed paper and (c) compliment slips in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department's records do not allow me to provide the information broken down to the level of detail requested by the hon. Member. However the combined cost of official ministerial business cards, headed paper and compliment slips is known. The combined costs of these three elements since the formation of the Department in May 2002, in each financial year is:
	
		
			  £ 
			  Combined cost 
		
		
			 29 May 2002 to 31 March 2003 3,994 
			 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 2,198 
			 1 April 2004 to 31 January 2005 2,602

Motorway Cameras

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport for what purpose cameras are being placed on traffic message gantries on some sections of the M1 motorway; and what the total cost is thereof.

David Jamieson: holding answer 8 February 2005
	The Ml motorway is equipped with cameras for traffic and incident management purposes such as comprehensive surveillance of accidents, traffic and weather conditions. They do not measure individual vehicle speed. However, some cameras measure the average speed of the traffic for the purposes of setting automatic queue-warning signs. These cameras are not used for speed enforcement. The provision of CCTV cameras is controlled by departmental standards and they can only be used for the purposes described. Most cameras are fixed to free-standing masts installed in the motorway verge. In Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire, 12 cameras (installed early in 2004) have been fitted to traffic message sign gantries.
	On the Al just north of the end of the Ml near Wetherby, a number of traffic and incident management cameras are being provided on message sign gantries. These works are part of the ongoing Al Darlington to Dishforth Design Build Finance and Operate (DBFO) scheme which is converting parts of the Al into new motorway.
	These cameras have all been provided as part of a much larger project, thus an accurate cost of camera only provision cannot be determined. However it is estimated that the typical cost of installing a single camera on a traffic message sign gantry and making it operational is around £15,000.

Rail Freight

John Thurso: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to continue the Strategic Rail Authority's policies towards large-scale Railfreight interchanges.

Tony McNulty: The Government continue to believe that railfreight interchanges play an important role in supporting the sustainable transport of goods. Decisions about individual railfreight terminals will be taken at the regional and local level, but the Government have given guidance on the development of Regional Transport Strategies that says
	"Particular consideration should be given to the spatial issues, such as identifying the broad location of new multi-modal freight interchanges which include regional rail freight interchanges as set out in the SRA's Strategic Rail Freight Interchange Policy and distribution centres of regional or sub-regional significance to encourage modal shift of freight from road to rail".

Staff Surveys

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how much was paid to consultants carrying out staff surveys in the Department and its predecessors in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what the cost of staff surveys in the Department and its predecessors was in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: Since the creation of the Department for Transport in May 2002, the costs incurred by the Department and its Executive Agencies for consultants conducting staff surveys are as follows:
	
		
			£000 
			  2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 DfT(C) 0 34.2 0 
			 HA 15.5 9.4 17.3 
			 DVLA 0 0 40.0 
			 15DSA 18.0 0 0 
			 VGA 0 0 0 
			 VOSA 2.4 0 0 
			 MCA 3.4 47.2 15.6 
			 Total 39.3 90.8 72.9 
		
	
	Internal costs arising from staff surveys are not identified separately and are included in the Department's and agencies' administrative budgets. Copies of the annual reports are deposited in the Library of the House.
	Staff surveys are an important measure of how people feel about working in the Department. They help to provide focus on areas for improvement such as performance management, development and leadership. Surveys also allow a better overview when staff are spread over numerous locations, as with the agencies.

Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Department and its predecessors spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since 1997.

Charlotte Atkins: The Department was formed in May 2002. The information for the central Department and its agencies is set out in the following table.
	
		
			   £000 
			  2002–03 2003–04 
		
		
			 DfTc   
			 Stationery 240.0 307.3 
			 Office supplies 109.4 182.1 
			
			 DVLA   
			 Stationery(27) 11,110.0 12,111.0 
			 Office supplies (28)— (28)— 
			
			 DSA   
			 Stationery 374.4 478.5 
			 Office supplies (29)— 205.6 
			
			 VCA   
			 Stationery 19.4 20.7 
			 Office supplies 4.5 5.9 
			
			 VOSA   
			 Stationery (30)— 2,312.2 
			 Office supplies (30)— 157.3 
			
			 HA   
			 Stationery 91.6 395.7 
			 Office supplies 305.1 582.8 
			
			 MCA   
			 Stationery(31) 214.2 213.1 
			 Office supplies 102.7 82.1 
		
	
	(27) This expenditure also includes the stationery which the Agency uses for its core business i.e. print on tax discs, V5s, V11s etc.
	(28) Office supplies included in figure for stationery.
	(29) Office supplies not recorded separately under previous accounting system.
	(30) VOSA was created in April 2003.
	(31) Figures exclude some IT and reprographics consumables as these had not been recorded separately from operating and capital costs.

Racial Hatred

Ross Cranston: To ask the Solicitor-General how many people have been charged with offences relating to the stirring-up of racial hatred; how many files on such cases have been put to the Attorney-General; in how many of those cases prosecutions were approved; in which years; how many of those prosecutions were successful; and what the nature was of the issues in successful cases.

Harriet Harman: The Attorney-General's consent to prosecute a person for offences relating to the stirring-up of racial hatred has been sought, to date, on 80 occasions. In total, consent to prosecute was given in relation to 73 of those persons. A table showing those consent decisions is as follows.
	
		
			  Consent given 
		
		
			 1988 2 
			 1989 1 
			 1990 2 
			 1991 3 
			 1992 4 
			 1993 2 
			 1994 2 
			 1995 7 
			 1996 12 
			 1997 9 
			 1998 1 
			 1999 4 
			 2000 4 
			 2001 8 
			 2002 2 
			 2003 0 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 7 
			 Total 73 
		
	
	Seventy-two of those persons have been charged with offences relating to the stirring-up of racial hatred. One person absconded before charge.
	The 72 prosecutions have resulted in 44 convictions, five acquittals, six cases dropped by the prosecution and 17 other outcomes.
	The seventeen "other outcomes" are as follows: two cases in which the defendant was bound over, one case where the defendant absconded, 10 cases that are on-going, one case where the defendant died before completion of the proceedings, one case where a nolle prosequi was entered, one case where the proceedings were stayed on the ground that the defendant was medically unfit to be tried and one case where the outcome is unknown.
	It is not possible to say what the nature of the issues was in the successful cases, as the prosecution statistics relating to incitement to racial hatred do not record information of this nature.

"Behzti"

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Attorney-General considered initiating a prosecution against the producers of the play "Behzti" on the grounds that it was allegedly offensive to Sikhs; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: Prosecutions for the offences of incitement to racial hatred, under Part III of the Public Order Act 1986, are brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, who seek the consent of the Attorney-General to prosecute.
	The Crown Prosecution Service has not sought the consent of the Attorney-General to prosecute any offence in relation to the play "Behzti".

Drug Crime (Lancashire)

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many arrests of drug dealers Lancashire police have made in each Lancashire constituency in each of the last three years;
	(2)  how many people have been arrested in Lancashire for antisocial behaviour in each of the last three years.

Hazel Blears: The information requested is not available centrally. Information on arrests collected centrally is based on persons arrested for "notifiable" offences by main offence group and police force area only and therefore does not identify individual offences, such as drug dealing, or whether the arrest is as a result of antisocial behaviour.

British Crime Survey

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the value of the British Crime Survey.

Hazel Blears: The British Crime Survey (BCS) is the most reliable and robust measure of crime in England and Wales today. Although no formal evaluation of the BCS has been undertaken, both the criminological and policing communities respect it as an authoritative measure of crime trends. The overwhelming value of the BCS is that it provides the most reliable measurement of crime trends as it has measured crime consistently since 1981.
	The BCS provides the best reflection of the true extent of crime because it also includes crimes that are not reported to the police. We have never claimed that the BCS counts all crimes that occur in England and Wales, but rather that it provides a reliable measure of trends in the crimes that it does count from one year to the next. The design of the survey ensures statistically robust data is obtained. The BCS count also gives a better indication of trends in crime over time than police recorded crime because it is unaffected by changes in levels of reporting to the police and in police recording practices.

Crime Statistics

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answers of 25 January 2005, Official Report, columns 268–69W, on crime, if he will make it his policy to record (a) alcohol-related violent offences, (b) youth offences, (c) internet crime and (d) domestic violence offences centrally; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: The offences which form the recorded crime series are all indictable and triable-either-way offences together with a few closely related summary ones. As such these offences are defined by statute. Those referred to in the question are not. For example, a "domestic violence offence" would be recorded as more or less serious wounding or common assault depending on the severity of the violence used and in accordance with the relevant legislation.
	The ability to produce police recorded crime statistics on the topics mentioned is dependent on the adoption of new IT systems in police forces and the Home Office. An exercise is under way to assess the costs and benefits associated with making this change.

Lancashire Police

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) men and (b) women have joined Lancashire police in each year since 2001.

Hazel Blears: The latest information on police officers joining the service was published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 13/04, "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 31 March 2004. Prior to March 2003, the numbers of support staff and traffic wardens joining were not collected centrally and community support officers were only introduced after 31 March 2002.
	The available data for Lancashire 1 are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Men Women 
			 As at 31 March: Police officers Police staff Community Support officers Traffic wardens Police officers Police staff Community Support officers Traffic wardens 
		
		
			 2001 118 n/a — n/a 46 n/a — n/a 
			 2002 144 n/a — n/a 59 n/a — n/a 
			 2003 (33)153 15 24 0 (33)71 42 17 0 
			 2004 (33)240l 158 1 5 (33)95 273 6 6 
		
	
	(32) headcount
	(33) not comparable with previous years as it includes transfers from other England and Wales forces.

Police

Neil Gerrard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many searches of (a) persons and (b) vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were carried out by each Metropolitan Police division (a) in each of the last five years and (b) in 2005 to date; and how many arrests were made as a result in each division for (i) offensive weapons and (ii) other reasons.

Hazel Blears: Information from 1999–2000 to 2003–04 (latest available) for the Metropolitan Police area is given in the table. The information is collected centrally at police force area level only.
	Data for 2004–05 will be published later in the year.
	
		Searches of persons and vehicles under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994(34) within the Metropolitan police area by resultant arrests, 1999–2000 to 2003–04 Number
		
			 Arrests for: 
			  Total searches Vehicles only searched Persons searched Offensive weapons Other reasons 
		
		
			 1999–2000 2,693 2 2,691 4 34 
			 2000–01 2,813 7 2,806 3 64 
			 2001–02 6,065 65 6,000 89 144 
			 2002–03 8,606 117 8,489 88 338 
			 2003–04 4,359 11 4,348 29 122 
		
	
	(34) Searches in anticipation of violence.

Waste

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which landfill sites in England are licensed to accept hazardous waste.

Elliot Morley: At the end of 2004, 16 landfills in England were permitted to accept hazardous wastes, with a further seven awaiting a decision (of those seven, some may be accepting hazardous wastes under the terms of a waste management licence). Also, the Environment Agency has received 47 applications to operate separate cells in non-hazardous landfills, for the disposal of stable non reactive hazardous waste, with 24 sites currently operational. Details on all the sites can be found on the Environment Agency website at http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/444217/444 663/landfill/

Departmental Publications

George Osborne: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much has been spent on the production of in-house magazines in the Department in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: The Cabinet Office in-house magazine "SCOOPS" was published from 1997 until December 2002.
	Early production costs were minimal, excluding staff production costs. From October 1998 with the introduction of the first colour edition, until publication was discontinued in December 2002, costs rose to £2,500 per issue. "SCOOPS" was published ten times per year, at a cost of £25,000 per year between 1999 and 2002.
	The staff newsletter, "The Weekly", has always been produced entirely in-house and has incurred no additional production costs.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office 
	(1)  on how many occasions his Department's Ministers used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years;
	(2)  how much money his Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

David Miliband: "Travel by Ministers" makes clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The list published in 1999 covers the period 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1999. Where RAF/private charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the "Ministerial Code" and "Travel by Ministers."

Class Sizes

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in reducing infant class sizes for five, six and seven-year-olds in Leicestershire since 1997.

Derek Twigg: The age of individual pupils in classes is not collected centrally. The available information is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary schools(37): number of pupils in key stage 1 classes of 31 or more pupils taught by one teacher1997 to 2004 Position in January each yearLeicestershire local education authority
		
			   Number of pupils in classes of 31 or more 
			  Total pupils in all classes Number of pupils Percentage of pupils(38) 
		
		
			 1997(39) 30,324 7,098 23.4 
			 1998 20,311 4,407 21.7 
			 1999 19,696 3,497 17.8 
			 2000 19,977 2,464 12.3 
			 2001 20,560 1,033 5.0 
			 2002 20,112 280 1.4 
			 2003(40) 18,077 436 2.4 
			 2004(40) 17,720 818 4.6 
		
	
	(37) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(38) Percentage of pupils in those classes expressed as a percentage of pupils in all classes taught by one teacher.
	(39) Before local Government reorganisation.
	(40) From 2003 reception classes were returned alongside nursery classes as foundation stage for the first time. Therefore, reception classes have been included in the key stage 1 figures to produce a coverage as close as possible to that available for previous years.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Early Years Education

Dari Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free nursery and pre-reception class places have been created for three, four and five-year-olds in the constituency of Stockton, South since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: All four-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.
	The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four-year-olds in Stockton-on-Tees local education authority area and parliamentary constituencies within Stockton-on-Tees local education authority area since 1997 is shown in the tables.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(41) taken up 3 and 4-year-olds—Stockton local education authority area Position in January each year
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools(42) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(43) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 1997 2,400 n/a 2,400 n/a n/a (44)2,500 
			 1998 2,200 n/a 2,200 n/a n/a (44)2,400 
			 1999 2,000 n/a 2,000 n/a n/a (44)2,200 
			 2000 1,900 (45)70 2,000 n/a n/a (44)2,200 
			 2001 1,800 (45)100 1,900 n/a n/a (44)2,300 
			 2002 1,700 (45)220 1,900 2,100 (44)90 2,200 
			 2003 1,600 (45)110 1,700 2,100 (46)120 2,200 
			 2004 1,600 (45)220 1,800 2,100 (48)140 2,200 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	(41) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(42) Headcount of children aged three at 31st December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(43) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(44) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(45) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	(46) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census supplementary data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(47) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(48) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(49) taken up 3 and 4-year-olds by parliamentary constituencyStockton local education authority area Position in January 2004
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools(50) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(51) Total 3-year-olds Maintained nursery and primary schools(52) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers(53) Total 4-year-olds 
		
		
			 Stockton North 760 70 830 940 60 1,000 
			 Stockton South 860 150 1,000 1,100 80 1,200 
			
			 Stockton LEA Total 1,600 220 1,800 2,100 140 2,200 
		
	
	(49) Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 or 100 as appropriate.
	(50) Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(51) Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	(52) Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools' Census.
	(53) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census and the Annual Schools' Census.
	Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department doesn't publish population figures for individual age cohorts at sub-national level because of the unreliability of the underlying population estimates. The Office for National Statistics publish sub-national population estimates in five-year age bands.

Early Years Education

Patrick Hall: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many free early years education places were taken up in Bedford and Kempston in (a) 1997 and (b) 2004.

Margaret Hodge: All four year olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since September 1998. All three-year-olds in England have been entitled to a free part-time early education place since April 2004.
	The available information on the numbers of free part-time early education places taken up by three and four year olds in Bedford parliamentary constituency and Bedfordshire local education authority area is shown in the tables. Information for private and voluntary providers is available for Bedfordshire but not for Bedford constituency.
	
		Number of free nursery education places(54) taken up by 3and 4year olds Bedfordshire local education authority area 1997 and 2004  Position in January each year
		
			  3-year-olds 4-year-olds 
			  Maintained nursery and primary schools(55) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total Maintained nursery and primary schools(57) Other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers Total 
		
		
			 1997 1,300 0 1,300 n/a n/a (59)4,700 
			 2004 1,250 (56)2,510 3,760 4,020 (58)770 4,790 
		
	
	n/a = Not available.
	1 Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10 places.
	2 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools Census.
	3 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census data collection exercise and the Annual Schools' Census.
	4 Headcount of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Annual Schools Census.
	(54) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Early Years Census data collection exercise and the Annual Schools Census.
	(55) Part-time equivalent number of children aged four at 31 December in the previous calendar year from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
	
		Number of free nursery education places1,2 taken up by three and 4-year-olds in maintained nursery and primary schools, Bedford parliamentary constituency area 1997 and 2004 Position in January each year
		
			  3-year-olds  4-year olds 
			  Maintained nursery schools Maintained primary schools Total Maintained nursery schools Maintained primary schools Total 
		
		
			 1997 150 190 0 340 100 130 700 910 
			 2004 100 250 0 340 50 130 640 820 
		
	
	(56) Headcount of children aged three and four at 31 December in the previous calendar year.
	2 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10 places.
	3 Includes reception classes and classes not designated as nursery classes.
	Source: Annual Schools Census.
	Changes in pupil figures may arise from changes to the underlying population in the local education authority area and other factors. However, my Department does not publish population figures for individual age cohorts at sub-national level because of the unreliability of the underlying population estimates. The Office for National Statistics publish sub-national population estimates in five-year age bands.
	The latest figures on early education places for three and four-year-olds in England were published in Statistical First Release 39/2004 "Provision for children under five years of age in England—January 2004 (final)", which is available on the Department's website www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/.

Marriage and Relationship Support

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding her Department has made available for (a) marriage and relationship support agencies and (b) parenting and family agencies in each year since 1997; how many (i) marriage and relationship support agencies and (ii) parenting and family agencies have received such funding in each year since 1997, broken down by agency; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: As a result of the machinery of Government changes in June 2003, responsibility for marriage and relationship support policy and funding transferred to DfES from the Department for Constitutional Affairs, previously the Lord Chancellor's Department; and responsibility for parenting and family support policy and funding transferred to DfES from the Home Office.
	In 2003–04 the DfES made £14.9 million available to voluntary and community sector organisations specialising in marriage and relationship support and/or parenting and family support. This has been distributed as follows:
	
		
			 Programme Grants Budget (£) 
		
		
			 Marriage and relationship  support grant 44 Projects delivered 5.0 
			 Parenting and family support 125 grants, 132 projects 9.4 
		
	
	In 2004–05, the DfES made £24.9 million available to voluntary and community sector organisations specialising in marriage and relationship support and/or parenting and family support. This has been distributed as follows:
	
		
			 Programme Grants Budget (£) 
		
		
			 Marriage and relationship  support grant 33 Organisations to deliver  42 projects 4.9 
			 Parenting and family support 100 grants; 139 projects 20

Post-compulsory Education

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 16-year-olds were in post-compulsory education in England in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03, (c) 2003–04 and (d) 2004–05, broken down by region.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 21 February 2005
	The latest published local participation estimates for 16-year-olds in education and Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funded work based learning (WBL) in England are for end 2001 (2001–02 academic year). Local participation estimates for end 2002 and end 2003 (provisional) are due to be published in March 2005 together with a consistent historic participation time series.
	Participation estimates of education and LSC funded WBL by 16-year-olds in England, broken down by region, for end 2001 are given in Table 1.
	The data are taken from the Department's Statistical Bulletin entitled, "Participation in education and training by 16 and 17-year-olds in each local area in England, end 2001".
	
		Table 1: Participation in education and LSC funded WBLby region in England for end 2001  Percentage
		
			  Full-time education Education and LSC funded WBL 
		
		
			 England 71 82 
			 North East 67 88 
			 North West 67 81 
			 Yorkshire and the Number 67 83 
			 East Midlands 68 82 
			 West Midlands 69 82 
			 East of England 72 81 
			 London 74 82 
			 South East 74 82 
			 South West 74 84

Pre-school Funding (Warrington)

Helen Southworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding has been provided for (a) nursery and (b) pre-school education in Warrington in each of the last seven years.

Margaret Hodge: The information is not available in the form requested. Funding for nursery and pre-school education has been provided through a mixture of nursery education grant and education standard spending (up till 2002–03) and education formula spending (from 2003–04). The new education formula spending system is not directly comparable with the old education standard spending assessments at sub-block level. This is because the coverage of the sub-blocks and the amount of resources allocated within them changed significantly in 2003–04. Therefore the figures are not comparable between 2002–03 and 2003–04.
	The figures in the following table provide details of the resources provided for Warrington from 1998–99 together with estimated figures for 1997–98 (Warrington was part of Cheshire in 1997–98). Funding through education standard spending assessments and education formula spending shares is unhypothecated.
	
		
			  £ million 
			  
		
		
			 School spending assessments plus nursery education grant (vouchers in 1997–98) in cash terms 
			 1997–98 4.1 
			 1998–99 5.9 
			 1999–2000 5.5 
			 2000–01 6.7 
			 2001–02 6.8 
			 2002–03 7.4 
			 Nursery sub-block from education formula spending in cash terms including pensions 
			 2003–04 10.2 
			 2004–05 10.4 
		
	
	Notes:
	Price base: cash
	1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to local Government reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	Figures reflect relevant sub-blocks of education SSA/EFS settlements and include the pensions transfer to EPS for 2003–04 and 2004–05
	Total funding shown includes nursery education grant for 1998–99 to 2002–03 and nursery vouchers in 1997–98. Extra funding through schools standards grant and standards fund is not included as it is not possible to identify how much of these grants are spent on under fives.
	Rounding: Figures are rounded to the nearest £0.1 million.

Vocational Education

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what strategy her Department is using to promote vocational education to those students not wishing to enter further academic study.

Ivan Lewis: holding answer 21 February 2005
	Students wishing to follow a vocational pathway are currently able to gain access through a number of routes. These are available to all students. The Department's increased flexibility for 14 to 16-year-olds' programme creates and promotes enhanced vocational and work related learning opportunities. Our young apprenticeships programme also offers well motivated 14 to 16-year-olds the opportunity to pursue industry specific vocational programmes outside of school in partnership with employers. In September 2004 work related learning at Key Stage 4 became a statutory requirement. 8 GCSEs in vocational subjects were introduced in September 2002. Apprenticeships and advanced apprenticeships offer structured programmes of training in a wide range of occupations leading to a recognised qualification for learners of foundation degrees). We will shortly be publishing a White Paper which will set out our future plans for 14 to 19-year-olds.

Chartered Aircraft

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money her Department has spent on chartering aircraft in each of the past five years.

Patricia Hewitt: "Travel by Ministers" makes it clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government has published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Where RAF/private charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government has also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	No costs have been incurred by the Department in the last five years on chartering aircraft for internal flights.

European Constitution

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  if she will make a statement on the impact of the Charter of Fundamental Rights within the EU Constitution on industrial relations law in the UK;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the impact of the Charter of Fundamental Rights within the EU Constitution on the rights of workers in the UK.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs on 9 September 2004, Official Report, columns 133–35WS, which made it clear that the Charter of Fundamental Rights will have no practical impact upon UK industrial relations law or the rights of UK workers. The full statement is available in the Library of the House.
	The provisions of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms are addressed to the institutions, bodies, offices and agencies of the European Union with due regard to the principle of subsidiarity and to the member states only when they are implementing Union Law. The Charter does not extend the scope of application of Union Law beyond the existing powers of the Union or establish any new power or task for the Union. Nor does it modify powers and tasks defined in the other parts of the constitutional treaty, which specifically excludes EU action on legislative areas such as pay, the right of association, the right to strike and the right to impose lock-outs.
	UK legislation on industrial relations maintains a balance between workers' rights to pursue legitimate disputes and employers' rights to conduct business without disruption from illegitimate industrial action. The Charter will not alter that balance.

External Consultants

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what work was commissioned by her Department's executive agencies to be carried out by external consultants and advisors in 2003–04.

Patricia Hewitt: I have asked the Chief Executives listed as follows to write to the hon. Member.
	Mr. Ron Marchant, Chief Executive of the Patent Office
	Mr. Desmond Flynn, Chief Executive of The Insolvency Service
	Dr. J W Llewellyn, Chief Executive of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory
	Ms Claire Clancy, Chief Executive of Companies House
	Ms Jeanne Spinks, Chief Executive of the Employment Tribunals Service
	Letter from Ron Marchant to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 21 February 2005
	House of Commons Parliamentary Question: 2004/837
	I am replying on behalf of the Patent Office to the above parliamentary question concerning work commissioned by the Department of Trade & Industry's executive agencies to be carried out by external consultants and advisors in 2003–04.
	The Patent Office has a limited requirement for such services. The cost of work carried out in 2003/04 by external consultants and advisors was £32,000 and covered surveys and feasibility studies for minor building alterations, staff objective setting and the implementation of an EC Directive.
	Letter from Desmond Flynn to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 21 February 2005
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply to you directly on behalf of The Insolvency Service in respect of your question (2004/837) requesting information on money spent on external consultants and advisors in 2003–04.
	Money spent on external consultants and advisors during April 2003 to date amounts to £34,000. This expenditure was broken down between £18,000 on a Race Equality Impact Study and £16,000 on The Insolvency Service Help Line.
	Letter from Dr. J W Llewellyn to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 21 February 2005
	The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has asked me to reply on behalf of the National Weights and Measures Laboratory (NWML) to your question regarding what work was commissioned by her Department's executive agencies to be carried out by external consultants and advisors in 2003–04.
	NWML commissioned external consultants and advisors to carry out work on a wide range of issues including Electronic Records Management, Market Surveillance, performance monitoring and IT Development in 2003/04. The total cost of their work was £68k.
	Letter from Claire Clancy to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 21 February 2005
	House of Commons Parliamentary Question: 2004/837
	To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what work was commissioned by her Department's executive agencies to be carried out by external consultants and advisors in 2003–04.
	I refer to the above Parliamentary Question that you have raised. I am replying to you as Chief Executive of Companies House.
	The details of the external consultants used and the costs for 2003/2004 are:
	
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 IT consultancy 880,165 
			 Management consultancy 51,431 
			 Consultants for accommodation project 69,838 
			 Total 1,001,434 
		
	
	I hope that you will find this information useful.
	Letter from Jeanne Spinks to Mr. Stephen O'Brien, dated 21 February 2005
	You asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what work was commissioned by her Department's executive agencies to be carried out by external consultants and advisors in 2003–04. I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Employment Tribunals Service.
	The major work commissioned was to research the benefits of, and develop the business case for, a computerised case-handling system which in addition will allow the sharing of information with Acas.
	The remainder of the work related to professional advice on premises management and development.

Queen's Flight

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions departmental Ministers have used the Queen's Flight in each of the past five years.

Patricia Hewitt: "Travel by Ministers" makes it clear that special flights may be authorised when a scheduled service is not available, or when it is essential to travel by air, but the requirements of official or parliamentary business or security considerations or urgency preclude the journey being made by a scheduled service. In respect of overseas travel by Ministers, since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Where RAF/private charter aircraft are used this is shown in the list. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. Information for 2004–05 will be published in due course.
	In addition an RAF aircraft was used for an internal visit on one occasion in June 2002.

Staff Identity Passes

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost of producing a staff identity pass was in the Department on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many staff identity passes have been reported lost or stolen in each year since 1997.

Patricia Hewitt: The current cost of producing a DTI identity pass is £1.17 (including VAT). The number of DTI passes which have been lost or stolen on a year-by-year basis, April to March, since 1997 are as follows:
	
		
			  Passes Lost/Stolen 
		
		
			 1996–97 123 
			 1997–98 105 
			 1998–99 115 
			 1999–2000 66 
			 2000–01 90 
			 2001 98 
			 2002–03 80 
			 2003–04 125 
			 2004 (to end December) 82 
		
	
	There is nothing on the pass to indicate that it belongs to a DTI staff member.

Targets

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many targets have been set in each year since 1997 by the Department; and, of these, which have been (a) met, (b) nearly met, (c) not met, (d) changed and (e) dropped.

Patricia Hewitt: Since the 1998 comprehensive spending review the Department's key objectives have been set out in public service agreements (PSA), which include high-level performance targets. Progress against these targets has been reported every year since then in the Department's annual expenditure plans and departmental reports.
	The Department's annual reports also cover progress against a range of other departmental targets, for example in relation to diversity in public appointments and the Department's environmental performance.
	Since December 2002 the Department has provided further mid-year updates on progress towards delivering its PSA targets in annual autumn performance reports.
	Details of these reports are given as follows:
	The Government's expenditure plans 1998–99 Cm 3905
	The Government's expenditure plans 1999–2000 to 2001–02 Cm 4211
	The Government's expenditure plans 2000–01 2001–02 Cm 4611
	www.dti.gov.uk/expenditure/
	The Government's expenditure plans 2001–02 to 2003–04 Cm 5112
	www.dti.gov.uk/expenditureplan/expenditure 2001/
	The Government's expenditure plans 2002–03 to 2003–04 Cm 5416
	www/dti.gov.uk/expenditureplan/expenditure 2002/index.shtml
	Departmental report 2003 Cm 5916
	www.dti.gov.uk/expenditureplan/report2003/
	Departmental report 2004 Cm 6216
	www.dti.gov.uk/expenditureplan/report2003/
	Autumn performance report 2002 Cm 5731
	www.dti.gov.uk/about/apr/
	Autumn performance report 2003 Cm 6067
	www.dti.gov.uk/about/apr/2003.pdf
	Autumn performance report 2004 Cm 6422
	www.dti.gov.uk/pdfs/DTI Autumn Performance Report 2004.pdf

Belfast Regeneration Office

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by the Belfast Regeneration Office in each of the district electoral areas of north Belfast in each year since it was set up.

John Spellar: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only by a special administrative exercise and would entail a disproportionate cost.

Catering Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on (a) entertainment lunches involving civil servants and guests and (b) working lunches, in each year since 1997.

Paul Murphy: Information is not available in the format requested by the hon. Member.
	The information requested is captured under overall "entertainment" costs and these costs have previously been provided in the answer I gave to the hon. Member on 11 January 2005, Official Report, column 471W.

Charity Laws

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in bringing forward changes to charity laws in Northern Ireland following the recommendations of the Independent Monitoring Commission's report of November 2004.

John Spellar: The Department for Social Development has launched a public consultation exercise to seek views on proposed changes to the existing laws governing charities in Northern Ireland.
	The appointment of a Charities Commission and a Register of Charities in Northern Ireland are among the main proposals in a document called "Consultation on the Review of Charities Administration and Legislation in Northern Ireland 2005" and published by the Department for Social Development.
	Charities in Northern Ireland make an immense contribution helping those in our society who are most in need. The proposed changes are designed to provide greater public confidence and will address concerns that the lack of tighter control of charities in Northern Ireland provides opportunities for abuse by organised criminal elements.

Ferry Services

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his Department's intentions are regarding the re-instatement of the ferry service between Ballycastle and Campbeltown.

Barry Gardiner: The proposed reinstatement of the ferry service between Campbeltown and Ballycastle is a matter in which my colleagues in the Scottish Executive have lead responsibility. The views of Northern Ireland Office Ministers have recently been conveyed to the Minister for Transport in the Scottish Executive re-affirming our continued support, in principle, in relation to their attempts to reinstate the service. Discussions between officials in the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment continue on how best to progress the matter.

Housing Executive

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many properties there are in the Housing Executive's Purpose Built Commercial Property Portfolio; what their value is; how many are (a) vacant, (b) let on a five year lease and (c) let on less than a five year lease; how many were acquired in each of the last five years; at what cost; how many were sold in each of the last 10 years; and what the total income from such sales was in each of those years.

John Spellar: There are 433 properties in the Housing Executive's Purpose Built Commercial Property Portfolio and are valued at £14,514,920.00. Of these 24 are vacant, 318 are let on a five year or more lease and 84 are let on less than a five year lease (seven of which have no lease as they are being used by the Housing Executive). No properties have been acquired in the last five years. During the last 10 years the numbers sold with the annual income is as follows:
	
		
			  Number sold (unit) Annual income (£) 
		
		
			 2002 1 9,000.00 
			 2001 1 25,000.00 
			 2000 11 460,000.00 
			 1999 8 150,000.00 
			 1998 1 14,000.00 
			 1997 1 5,000.00 
			 1996 None 0 
			 1995 None 0 
			 1994 1 6,000.00 
			 1993 None 0

Housing Executive

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which posts, not including Housing Executive staff, are funded by the Housing Executive to assist local communities and residents' groups in each Northern Ireland constituency; who the occupants are of each post; what the length of service is in each case; and what the remuneration for each post is.

John Spellar: The name of the post holders and their length of service is personal data and constitutes exempt information under section 40(2) of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and as such it would inappropriate to release it with out the consent of the postholder. However the following table provides the name of the organisation funded or partly funded by the Housing Executive during the 2004–05 financial year and the amount of funding paid by the Housing Executive. When organisations approach the Housing Executive for funding this normally covers more than just the salary. The amount of funding shown only includes costs paid by the Housing Executive that were associated with the post. The organisations are grouped by constituency based on the name of the group and/or the known area where it operates and compared with the names of the wards in that constituency.
	
		
			 Constituency/group name Housing Executive funding level (2004–05) (percentage) Amount of Housing Executive funding (£) 
		
		
			 Belfast, West   
			 Lenadoon 50 12,751 
			 Upper Springfield Resource Centre 50 10,250 
			 West Belfast Partnership Board 100 18,582 
			 Whiterock/Westrock 62 9,143 
			 Greater Shankill 100 18,200 
			 Tudor Renewal Residents Association 100 18,886 
			 Twadell/Woodvale 100 10,250 
			
			 Belfast, North   
			 New Lodge Housing Forum 100 21,100 
			 Ardoyne 100 17,000 
			 Lower North Belfast Community Council 50 11,400 
			 Concerned Residents Upper Ardoyne(63) 100 25,561 
			
			 Belfast, South   
			 Markets Development Association 50 5,640 
			 Greater Village Regeneration Trust 50 10,600 
			
			 Strangford   
			 Glen Ward Community Association 50 10,000 
			
			 Foyle   
			 Bogside/Brandywell Community Housing project 100 18,417 
			
			 Belfast, East   
			 Mersey Street Area Residents Association(64) 50 2,397 
		
	
	(63) The post has yet to be filled.
	(64) Current postholder has left employment and funding has been sought to fill the post in the 2005–06 year.

Jobskills Traineeships

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many and what percentage of young people enrolled on year three of a jobskills traineeship in Northern Ireland had found a full-time job by the end of that year in each year since 2001.

Barry Gardiner: The traineeship strand of the jobskills programme has a maximum training period of 78 weeks. Therefore the question is being answered on the basis of the number of young people who commenced a jobskills traineeship in each financial year since 2001 and, of those, the number who subsequently gained full-time employment.
	The number of young people who commenced a jobskills traineeship in each financial year since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 2001–02 5,304 
			 2002–03 4,956 
			 2003–04 5,064 
			 2004–05 (65)4,464 
		
	
	(65) To date.
	The number and percentage of young people recruited in each of the above years that subsequently found a full-time job is as follows:
	
		
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 2001–02 3,018 57 
			 2002–03 2,806 57 
			 2003–04 (66)— (66)— 
			 2004–05 (66)— (66)— 
		
	
	(66) Too early to report.

Official Residences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the official residences for which his Department is responsible; who occupies each one; what the annual cost is of running each property; what contribution the current occupants make towards the running costs of each; what the total capital and refurbishment expenditure has been on those properties in each of the past five years; how much money was spent in each property on (a) flowers and plants, (b) wine and entertaining, (c) food, (d) telephone bills and (e) electricity and gas in 2003–04; how many (i) domestic and (ii) maintenance staff are employed at each property, broken down by post; and what the total cost of staff employment at each was in 2003–04.

Ian Pearson: Hillsborough Castle is the official residence of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland. The facilities at the castle are also used to provide official hospitality, overnight accommodation and to carry out other official business. The range of activities can include political meetings, hospitality for visiting dignitaries, the Secretary of State's garden party, and citizenship ceremonies. In addition to its use by the Northern Ireland Office and other Government Departments, charities and local community groups can request to use the facilities, generally for fund raising purposes, and the castle and grounds are open at certain times of the year for guided tours.
	The total cost of running Hillsborough Castle in the 2003–04 financial year was £1,285,224.08. This includes the maintenance of the listed building and grounds; the security of the castle and its grounds and that of Ministers, officials and visitors while present at the castle. It also includes the cost hosting of the events listed above, as well as catering, hospitality and administration.
	The Secretary of State is on duty while at Hillsborough Castle and therefore his costs count as official expense.
	Records of expenditure on refurbishment are an integral part of the records that cover many other items of building maintenance and repair. It would be possible to identify only those items that relate specifically to refurbishment only at disproportionate cost.
	During the 2003–04 year £16,769.87 was spent on flowers and plants. This included plants and flowers for the 100 acre listed estate surrounding the castle and flowers for functions.
	A total £171,107.56 was spent on all catering and hospitality related items (the costs of food wine and entertaining not being separately available).
	£19,254.33 was spent on telephone system including calls, installations and maintenance.
	£64,360.56 was spent on power, including electricity, gas, oil and other forms of fuel.
	The total cost for all staff in the 2003–04 year was £660,715.61. There are currently the equivalent of 5.5 full-time domestic staff employed at Hillsborough Castle but no maintenance staff.

Paramilitary Attacks

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many paramilitary attacks on individuals there have been in the Province in each week since October 2004.

Ian Pearson: The information requested is included in the following table.
	
		Security situation statistics: Number of casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults and shootings per week
		
			 1 October to 31 December 2004 Paramilitary style assaults Paramilitary style shootings 
			 Week 1 By Loyalist 2 By Republican 2 Total By Loyalist 2 By Republican 2 Total 
		
		
			 1–7 October 2004 2 — 2 3 — 3 
			 8–14 October 2004 1 1 2 — — — 
			 15–21 October 2004 1 — 1 3 — 3 
			 22–28 October 2004 — 1 1 5 — 5 
			 29 October to 4 November 2004 1 3 4 2 — 2 
			 5–11 November 2004 3 2 5 1 — 1 
			 12–18 November 2004 1 — 1 — — — 
			 19–25 November 2004 1 2 3 1 — 1 
			 26 November to 2 December 2004 — 1 1 — — — 
			 3–9 December 2004 — 1 1 — — — 
			 10–16 December 2004 1 — 1 1 — 1 
			 17–23 December 2004 — — — — 1 1 
			 24–31 December 2004(67) 1 3 4 1 — 1 
			 Total 12 14 26 17 1 18 
		
	
	(67) Periods of one week/seven days; except 24–31 December which covers eight days.
	(68) Attribution is as perceived by PSNI based on the information available and does not necessarily indicate the involvement of a paramilitary organisation.
	Notes:
	1. At this stage statistics can only be validated up until end of December 2004.
	2. 2004 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment.

Secondary Schools

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the Department of Education's (a) definition and (b) criteria are for classifying curriculum subjects and courses as (a) vocational and (b) academic in secondary schools in Northern Ireland.

Barry Gardiner: I have made clear previously that I do not believe neat definitions are possible. Schools will, however, be provided with clear guidance on which subjects will be regarded as "general" or "applied" for the purposes of the Entitlement Framework. A preliminary, illustrative list of general and applied courses was placed on the Department of Education website on 23 June 2004.

Secondary Schools

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland why development proposals for post-primary arrangements in Antrim include only controlled schools; and what the results were of community audits of such arrangements.

Barry Gardiner: There are currently no development proposals for any post-primary schools in Antrim.
	I am aware that following concern about the significant decline in the enrolment at Massereene Community College the North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB), which has responsibility for the school, decided to explore options for the future of controlled secondary education in Antrim town. These options formed the basis of a consultation process carried out by the NEELB between September-November 2004.
	The consultation took the form of meetings and a questionnaire. The questionnaire sought views on the proposed closure of Massereene Community College and interim arrangements to transfer all pupils to Parkhall College. It also asked parents of children of compulsory school age their views on the current choice of secondary school provision in the Antrim borough council area and on integrated education.
	The NEELB has advised that the consultation identified opposition to the proposed closure of Massereene College and to the prospect of mobile accommodation on the Parkhall College site in order to accommodate the combined enrolments.
	The majority of parents who responded to the questionnaire said they were satisfied with the current choice of post-primary school in Antrim and a majority also indicated that they were supportive of integrated education, and would consider sending their children to an integrated post-primary school in the town.
	The results of the consultation are due to be considered shortly by the North Eastern Education and Library Board.

Suicides (North Belfast)

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have committed suicide in north Belfast in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The information requested is as follows:
	
		
			 Registration year Death due to "suicide and self-inflicted injury" Death due to "undetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted" Total deaths due to "suicide and self-inflicted injury" or "underdetermined injury whether accidentally or purposefully inflicted" 
		
		
			 1997 7 0 7 
			 1998 7 1 8 
			 1999 13 4 17 
			 2000 11 2 13 
			 2001 13 0 13 
			 2002 10 2 12 
			 2003 14 1 15

Child Poverty

Vera Baird: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to achieve the Government's targets of (a) ending child poverty by 2020 and (b) halving it by 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: Tackling disadvantage is one of the five key aims for the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Achieving government child poverty targets is an important part of this work.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has made a significant input into the Child Poverty Review, which includes measures to contribute towards the long-term goal of halving and eradicating child poverty, including:
	a 50 per cent. increase in the rate of social house building by 2008 providing 10 000 extra dwellings per year as outlined in "Sustainable Communities: Homes For All" to help achieve the target to halve the number of households living in Temporary accommodation by 2010;
	increasing investment in homelessness prevention;
	Providing £1.7 billion per year through the Supporting People (SP) programme to help vulnerable people sustain independent living including teenage parents or women fleeing from domestic violence, with benefit to their children;
	a £1.2 billion market renewal programme up to 2008;
	a new PS A target: by 2010, to bring all social housing into a decent condition.
	Progress
	The proportion of vulnerable households—including families with children—living in decent homes in the private sector, increased from 57 per cent. in 2001 to 63 per cent. in 2003. New data from English Housing Condition Survey confirms the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is ahead of expected progress towards its PSA target for the private sector.
	We have succeeded in ending the scandal of homeless families having to raise their children for long periods in cramped B&B hotels. There were 96 per cent. fewer families with children living long-term in B&B hotels in September 2004 than in March 2002.
	The Housing Act 2004 contains measures aimed at helping the most at risk from poor conditions and irresponsible landlords. Part 1 of the Act contains provisions to replace the housing fitness standard (also one of the criteria of the decent home standard) by an evidence based risk assessment procedure, the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). HHSRS will help focus decisions about housing conditions on the hazards which impact on the health and safety of vulnerable occupants, including children. The measures are likely to be implemented this autumn.
	The Housing Act also enables us to amend the statutory overcrowding standards through secondary legislation. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister intends to consult on this.

Departmental Policies

Brian Sedgemore: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to Haltemprice and Howden constituency, the effects on Haltemprice and Howden of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997.

Yvette Cooper: Along with other Government Departments, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is committed to improving the lives of people across the whole of the UK. For example, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is determined that everyone should have the opportunity to have a decent home, and since, 1997 we have reduced the number of non-decent homes nationally by one million.
	In the local government finance settlements since 1997–98, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been able to increase the amount of Government grant given to local authorities by £22.6 billion. This is a 33 per cent. increase in real terms. Since 1997–98 East Riding of Yorkshire has received an average annual increase in Formula Grant of 5.4 per cent.
	The Neighbourhood Statistics Service provides a wide range of statistical information at parliamentary constituency level, taken from the 2001 census and other sources. This service is available on the National Statistics website at http://neighbourhood.statistics. gov.uk./.

Fire Service

Philip Hammond: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make an estimate of the expected net changes in costs to fire authorities in England and Wales as a result of the implementation of the integrated risk management plans (a) approved by him last year and (b) submitted to him for approval this year.

Nick Raynsford: Under Integrated Risk Management Planning (IRMP) it is for each Fire and Rescue Authority to carry out a full risk assessment of its area and decide on the appropriate levels of provision and response times. Any cost savings will reflect those decisions. I am, however, satisfied that Fire and Rescue Authorities are making good progress in realising savings through IRMP. I have been assured by the Local Government Association and the Fire and Rescue Authorities that sufficient efficiencies will be delivered for 2006–07 to repay the £30 million transitional funding. For that reason the Government have agreed to defer recouping the £30 million until 2006–07.

Publicity

David Laws: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total expenditure by his Department on (a) advertising and (b) advertising and publicity was in (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 2003–04; and what the estimated cost of each will be in (A) 2004–05, (B) 2005–06, (C) 2006–07 and (D) 2007–08.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. In the financial year 2003–04 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister spent £3.4 million on centrally procured advertising and £10.7 million on advertising and publicity. The estimated cost for 2004–05 for advertising is £4.9 million and £12.6 million for advertising and publicity. The largest part of this has been for fire safety advertising campaigns.
	Budgets for 2005–06 and beyond have yet to be estimated.

Afghanistan

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the (a) projects and (b) measures in progress (i) to end the production of opium and (ii) to substitute the production of opium with a sustainable agricultural sector in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The UK, as lead nation, is committed to supporting the Afghan Government in the implementation of their comprehensive National Drug Control Strategy and, in particular, the 1384 (2005) Counter Narcotics Implementation Plan. President Karzai launched the plan during the visit of my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary to Kabul on 16 February. The eight pillars of the plan include the development of the criminal justice system, the creation of alternative livelihoods for farmers and strengthening interdiction and law enforcement measures. The UK and its international partners are supporting many projects across all of these strands. It is too early to make an assessment of cultivation in 2005 but due to a number of factors there may be reduced planting this year.
	I also refer the hon. Member to the written statement I made on Afghanistan: Counter Narcotics on 29 November 2004, Official Report, columns 17–18WS; I hope to make a further statement shortly.
	Since then, we have increased our efforts on alternative livelihoods for poppy growers to $50 million this year, bringing to $100 million the amount the UK is spending this year on counter narcotics activity in Afghanistan.
	The creation of alternative livelihood opportunities and an effective agricultural sector is crucial both for counter narcotics efforts and for Afghanistan's longer-term development. An estimated 80 per cent. of the country's labour force are employed in the agricultural sector, though individuals' livelihoods strategies are often complex and may involve a number of different types of income generating activity. Action to develop licit alternative rural livelihoods must take place on many levels and include both long-term development and short-term measures.
	However, rural development assistance is provided to all provinces across Afghanistan through national programmes managed by the Ministry for Reconstruction and Rural Development (MRRD), funded from the national development budget (and, soon, the new Counter Narcotics Trust Fund) and supported by the international community. Each programme focuses on redeveloping the infrastructure and underlying conditions necessary for growth, the development of an effective agricultural sector and viable licit alternatives to poppy cultivation.
	Short-term seed delivery programmes are being implemented by donors, such as the Food and Agriculture Organisation. The World Bank recently committed US$75 million for quick disbursing activities on alternative livelihoods and is currently developing an accelerated integrated rural development programme.

Correspondence

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he will reply to the letters dated 3 August and 20 October 2004 from the hon. Member for Brent East regarding Mr. John Bennett.

Bill Rammell: I replied on 18 February.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times during the (a) Italian, (b) Irish and (c) Dutch presidency of the EU the (i) EEC-Ukraine Co-operation Committee, (ii) EC-Tunisia Association Committee and (iii) EC-Morocco Association Committee met; when and where each meeting took place; what UK Government expert was present at each meeting; and if he will make a statement.

Denis MacShane: During this period, the EU-Ukraine Co-operation Committee met on 11 December 2003 in Kiev. There was no UK representative at this meeting, although the UK did participate fully in formulating the EU's position for the meeting. The EU-Tunisia Association Committee met on 18 November 2004 in Brussels and the EU-Morocco Association Committee met on 21 October 2003 in Rabat. The UK was represented at both meetings by Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials.

Hong Kong

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when Ministers last visited Hong Kong; when Ministers last discussed Hong Kong with the Chinese Government; and what issues were discussed.

Bill Rammell: There is a regular flow of high level visits between the UK and Hong Kong. I visited Hong Kong in October 2004. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Trade and Industry (Ms Hewitt), Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Margaret Beckett), the Leader of the House of Commons (Mr. Hain), my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Mr. Morley) and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Home Affairs (Baroness Scotland) all visited Hong Kong last year.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited China in January. He discussed Hong Kong's constitutional reform and progress towards universal suffrage with Premier Wen Jiabao and Foreign Minister, Li Zhaoxing. I also raised these issues when I visited China in July last year. During my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's talks with the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on 20 May 2004, both Governments reaffirmed their commitment to the implementation of the Joint Declaration and agreed to continue exchanges of view on the issue.

US Foreign Policy

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has made to "assist those seeking to liberate themselves from tyranny and to build democracy" as requested by the US Secretary of State on 8 February; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The promotion of democracy, alongside human rights, the rule of law and good governance is a thread which runs through all of the Government's foreign policy. These issues are mainstreamed throughout everything the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does. At the strategic level, this is highlighted by two of the FCO's eight strategic priorities aiming to support the development of democracy and the rule of law (Strategic Priority 3: An international system based on the rule of law, which is better able to resolve disputes and prevent conflicts; and Strategic Priority 6: Sustainable Development, underpinned by democracy, good governance and human rights).
	At an operational level we adapt our approach on these issues to reflect the situation in the countries in which we work. This might range from; what might be considered traditional diplomatic measures (e.g. advocacy; resolutions in international fora; or sanctions); it may mean technical capacity building to support an emerging democratic culture in a country with no history of participatory government; or it may mean working in partnership with more established democracies to reinforce democracy in third countries, or to improve transparency and accountability throughout the international system. We also promote democracy, human rights, the rule of law and good governance in international fora, and press countries to adhere to the commitments they've signed up to in these bodies.

Departmental Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much has been spent on official Ministerial (a) business cards, (b) headed paper and (c) compliment slips in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office provides a number of services to the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland and it is not possible to separate all expenditure between both Offices. Since 1 July 1999, expenditure by Scotland Office Ministers and the Advocate-General for Scotland was as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			 Scotland Office/OAG 
		
		
			 Business cards 
			 1999–2000(70) 273 
			 2000–01 219 
			 2001–02 128 
			 2002–03 0 
			 Headed paper 
			 1999–2000(70) 381 
			 2000–01 1,287 
			 2001–02 625 
			 2002–03 858 
			 Compliment slips 
			 1999–2000(70) 80 
			 2000–01 0 
			 2001–02 148 
			 2002–03 216 
		
	
	(70) Part year
	
		
			   £ 
			  Scotland Office OAG 
		
		
			 2003–04 0 0 
			 2003–04 110 189 
			 2003–04 0 62 
		
	
	(71) Part year

Stationery

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much the Department and its predecessors spent on (a) stationery and (b) office supplies in each year since it was established.

Anne McGuire: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. The Office provides a number of services, including stationery and office supplies, to the Office of the Advocate-General for Scotland (OAG). Prior to 2003–04, expenditure by OAG was not held separately.
	Since July 1999, the Scotland Office (SO) and OAG have spent the following on stationery and office supplies:
	
		
			  £ 
			 SO and OAG 
		
		
			 1999–00 (74) 22,207 
			 2000–01 25,270 
			 2001–02 24,478 
			 2002–03 25,294 
			 2003–04 
			 SO 16,858 
			 OAG 5,485 
		
	
	(74) Part year

Defence Management Board

Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will place in the Library the Defence Management Board balanced scorecard reports for each quarter since April 2000;
	(2)  what the Defence Management Board's (a) strategic objectives and (b) associated performance measures were for financial years 2001–01 to 2003–04; and what they are for financial year 2004–05.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence's strategic objectives, together with the associated targets and performance measures, are set out in the Department's Public Service Agreements (PSA) for 1999–2002, 2001–04 and 2003–06. These targets are at the core of the Defence Balanced Scorecard. The PSAs are available at www.hm-treasury.gov.uk. Performance against PSA targets is reported formally to Parliament in Departmental Spring and Autumn Performance Reports. For the MOD the Spring Performance Report has usually been incorporated within "The Government's Expenditure Plans", and since 2002–03 the Autumn Performance Report has been incorporated within the Ministry of Defence "Annual Report and Accounts", The Autumn Performance Reports also include detailed reporting against the full range of Defence Balanced Scorecard objectives. All these reports for financial years 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03 and 2003–04 should be in the Library of the House, and are also available at www.mod.uk. The MOD's "Government Expenditure Plans for 2005–06 to 2007–08" will be published in the spring. "The Annual Report and Accounts for 2004–05" will be published in the autumn. In addition, in accordance with Treasury requirements, information on PSA performance since the first quarter of 2003–04 has been published quarterly on the Treasury website.

Council Tax Benefit

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much council tax benefit remained unclaimed by pensioners in London in each year since 1997, broken down by constituency; and what plans he has to redistribute these sums to the relevant claimants;
	(2)  what measures are in place to ensure pensioners are made aware of sums available to them through council tax benefit.

Chris Pond: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Estimates of the total amount council tax benefit that went unclaimed in 2002–03, the latest year for which information is available, can be found in the Department's report entitled: "Income Related Benefits Estimates of Take-Up in 2002–03"; copies of which are available in the Library.
	Council tax benefit already makes a valuable contribution in providing financial security for nearly 5 million households responsible for paying council tax. But encouraging those who are still to claim is very much at the heart of our agenda. This is why we launched a campaign in the lead-up to last year's council tax billing round. And why we are continuing to support local authorities in the lead up to, and during, this year's billing round, to make sure they have procedures in place locally to encourage people to apply.
	We have already issued new versions of the posters and flyer with the headline "Cut your Council Tax—Find out if you should be paying less" and have arranged for the flyer to go out with the winter fuel payment letters to around 12 million pensioners in around eight million households.
	We have contacted over 20,000 organisations that deal with older people, to update them on the continuing campaign to raise awareness of council tax benefit, and have arranged for the flyer to be available via displays in doctors' surgeries. Electronic versions of the flyer are also available for local authorities to download and customise to include in with this year's council tax bills if they do not already have their own local products.
	A further round of press advertising, some national but mainly regional, started in January, with a second round of regional advertising due to start in early March, again to coincide with the issue of the council tax bills.
	The Pension Service are already doing much to promote council tax benefit take-up, from issuing a housing benefit/council tax benefit claim form to everyone who calls the pension credit application line and wishes to claim, to helping people fill in this form when visiting pensioners to take a claim for pension credit.
	The Link-Age Programme (which is building an integrated network of services for older people) is joining up existing service providers to offer a more holistic service to pensioners. Partnerships are being developed between The Pension Service and local authorities and joint teams of staff from both organisations are already operational in over 30 local authority areas, and are being rolled out nationally.
	A new £13 million fund—The Partnership Fund—was launched on 25 January 2005, providing up to two years' funding to around 170 organisations across Great Britain to finance local initiatives to improve take-up of older people's benefits, particularly those in hard to reach groups.
	The Pension Service have also recently provided local authorities with details of those people in their area claiming pension credit but not claiming housing benefit or council tax benefit, for authorities to use to complement their own take-up activities.

Departmental Expenditure

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost of refurbishments in his Department was in each year since 1997; and what the planned expenditure is for 2005–06.

Maria Eagle: DWP was formed in June 2001 from the former Department of Social Security (DSS) and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment, including the Employment Service (ES). Information for the period prior to June 2001 refers to the former DSS and ES.
	The available information on the costs of refurbishments since 1997 is in the table.
	
		
			  Total (£ million) 
		
		
			 1997–98 52.4 
			 1998–99 14.6 
			 1999–2000 23.3 
			 2000–01 23.7 
			 2001–02 77.8 
			 2002–03 175.3 
			 2003–04 179.7 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Expenditure on refurbishments increased in 2002 when the Department embarked on a major modernisation programme funded by the Treasury to improve the way in which DWP services are delivered to the public. The physical surroundings of several of the businesses within DWP are being changed, including Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service and Debt Management Services. The total spend is a combination of major refurbishments to buildings and smaller, business-related refurbishment works costs.
	2. Health and Safety Executive figures are included from 2002 when they joined DWP.
	The available information on estimated future expenditure on refurbishments is in the table.
	
		
			  Total (£ million) 
		
		
			 2004–05 73.1 
			 2005–06 307.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. These figures are estimates and may be subject to change.
	2. The estimates include expenditure for Jobcentre Plus rollout, the Health and Safety Executive and the Rent Service which became part of DWP in April 2004. Estimated costs for other business related refurbishment works are not included as they are not collected centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost
	3. The anticipated increased spend in 2005–06 is due to an expected increase in the number of Jobcentre Plus offices to be rolled out during the year.

Disabled People (Middlesbrough)

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate how many disabled people will receive the personal budget for disabled people in the constituency of Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East.

Maria Eagle: Prime Minister's Strategy Unit Report "Improving the life chances of disabled people" sets out the Government's commitment to introducing, over time, new arrangements for individualised budgets for all disabled people. More work is needed to develop the detail of these arrangements and the Department of Health, supported by this Department and the office of the Deputy Prime Minister, will be developing early pilots to start testing the feasibility of this new approach.
	The Strategy Unit report was published on 19 January 2005, and is available in the Library.

Electronic Devices

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many electronic devices are owned by the Department, broken down by type.

Maria Eagle: The Department owns the following electronic devices:
	
		
			  Number of devices 
		
		
			 Desktop PCs 149,000 
			 Laptops 11,000 
			 Servers 6,000 
			 Printers 27,000 
			 Communications room equipment 6,495 
			 Projectors 990 
			 Large and specialist monitors 4,187 
			 Scanners 579 
			 Photocopiers 491 
			 Order book printers 349 
			 Giro writers 118 
			 Mobile phones 14,005 
			 Palmtops 55 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures collected 23 November 2004.
	2. The number of desktop PCs, laptops, servers and printers is constantly changing due to new installations and the removal of obsolete equipment, which creates a time lag for updating the Department's records. The figures provided are therefore estimated.
	3. In addition to those items listed, the Department has a range of private finance initiative and leasing contracts in respect of computer equipment, advanced telephony services, photocopiers, franking machines and mobile phones which are used by, but not owned by, the Department.
	4. Lower cost electronic devices purchased which fall below the de minimus level for capitalisation (£5,000 except for ex ES assets which is £2,500), are treated as consumables and detailed information on numbers is not available.

Entertainment Costs

George Osborne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how much has been spent on entertainment by his Department in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) food, (b) alcohol, (c) staff and (d) accommodation;
	(2)  how much has been spent on (a) entertainment lunches involving civil servants and guests and (b) working lunches, in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) was formed in June 2001 from the Department of Social Security (DSS) and parts of the former Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) including the Employment Service (ES).
	Expenditure on official hospitality, entertainment of non-civil servants, is not collected at the level of detail requested. The available information on official hospitality expenditure, including working lunches, is in the table.
	All expenditure on official hospitality and on working lunches is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety, based on principles set out in Government Accounting.
	
		
			   £ 
			  Official hospitality(76) Working lunches(77) 
		
		
			 1997–98 46,000 — 
			 1998–99 86,000 — 
			 1999–2000 327,000 — 
			 2000–01 127,000 — 
			 2001–02 155,000 — 
			 2002–03 250,000 722,000 
			 2003–04 123,000 867,000 
		
	
	(76) Figures for 1997–98 to 2000–01 refer to the former DSS and ES.
	(77) Working lunch expenditure information is only available for the two most recent financial years because the predecessor Departments accounted for this type of expenditure in different ways.

Incapacity Benefit

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures his Department is implementing to encourage those claiming incapacity benefit to return to work if they are able to do so.

Maria Eagle: The Government's vision is to deliver a fundamental change in the way that people with a health condition or disability, but who want and are able to work, are given support to find, remain and progress in employment. We believe that everyone who wants and is able to get back to work should be helped and enabled to do so.
	Our groundbreaking Pathways to Work programme provides intensive help and support to people on incapacity benefits who want to work again. In December 2004 we announced a significant extension of the Pathways to Work pilots to include an additional 14 Jobcentre Plus districts starting from October this year.
	Building on the expansion of Pathways to Work we have announced a number of measures as part of the Five Year Strategy that will improve incapacity benefits in order to ensure that there are clear rewards for moving into work, and that will address the anxieties many claimants have about trying out a job by minimising the risks. We recognise that a person's health condition can affect their ability to work in varying degrees, sometimes making work very unlikely, but sometimes leaving a good prospect of a return to work.

Incapacity Benefit

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in the Bridgwater constituency were claiming incapacity benefit in each year since 1997.

Maria Eagle: The information is in the table.
	
		All incapacity benefit and severe disability allowance claimants in the Bridgwater parliamentary constituency, at the quarter shown
		
			 As at 31 August: Number 
		
		
			 1997 3,300 
			 1998 3,500 
			 1999 3,500 
			 2000 3,400 
			 2001 3,600 
			 2002 3,900 
			 2003 3,800 
			 2004 3,700 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Claimant figures include all incapacity benefit, severe disability allowance and credits-only cases.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. data

Job Centres

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which job centres (a) are due to be closed and (b) are due to remain open; what the timescale is for those remaining open to become Jobcentre Plus; and if he will make a statement.

Jane Kennedy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, David Anderson. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from David Anderson to Simon Hughes, dated 21 February 2005
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning our plans for closing and retaining Jobcentres, and the timescale for completing the transformation of Jobcentre Plus. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	I have placed in the Library a list of sites planned for closure as part of the Jobcentre Plus rollout programme and activity to centralise benefit processing. This list includes a number of sites which are closing through merging with co-located offices. While the majority of these sites will be disposed of in due course, a number will be retained by Jobcentre Plus to accommodate non-customer facing activity.
	I have also placed in the Library a list of our planned Local Service Outlets—those customer-facing offices providing access to our services. This listing includes what we refer to as Flexible Service Delivery sites, where we are working with local partners to provide access to services through third party premises.
	I should stress that this is a snapshot of our plans based on the best information available. The lists of offices will inevitably change as we progress through rollout of the new, integrated service and continue to refine our plans for centralising benefit processing in Jobcentre Plus. For example, a significant number of the site closures are dependent on construction of new buildings or acquisition of new premises and these are often subject to delays and other issues. I would also expect the number of Flexible Service Delivery sites to increase significantly as we conclude local discussions with partners on arrangements.
	We continue to review the plans for our network as the reducing headcount is impacted on all parts of the business, and we may have to reconsider the future viability of a number of sites in this context. Completing the rollout of the new service and centralising benefit processing at the same time is a challenging programme of work and I can assure you that providing customer service is at the centre of decisions we make. We will also ensure that local stakeholders are kept informed of progress and any changes to our plans.
	We are shaping the future Jobcentre Plus network in response to the changing business need. The need for face-to-face facilities for jobsearch and other aspects of our business has been superseded in many instances by new business processes and the use of information technology. For example, over the last 12 months we have seen an increase of over 40 per cent. in the number of hits on our jobsearch website. Encouraging our customers to use these new channels enables us to focus on those customers who need greatest help, through the intervention of personal advisers, for example.
	You will see from the lists that we will retain a significant network of offices through which customers can access our services. Our current forecast is that when rollout is complete the total number of outlets from which our services can be accessed is likely to be around 1,000. On present plans, our network will be substantially complete by the Summer of next year.
	I hope this summary of both the current position and our future plans is helpful.

National Insurance Numbers

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many national insurance numbers have been issued to (a) non-British EU citizens and (b) non-EU citizens in each month since January 2004;
	(2)  how many national insurance numbers have been issued to British citizens in each month since January 2004.

Chris Pond: Annually, DWP receive from Inland Revenue's National Insurance Recording System a breakdown of overseas nationals entering the UK allocated a National Insurance Number. The latest information we have is up to and including May 2004 and is in the table.
	
		National insurance numbers issued to non British EU and non EU citizens Number
		
			  January 2004 February 2004 March 2004 April 2004 May 2004 
		
		
			 Non-British EU Citizens 8,000 7,600 11,700 6,400 8,000 
			 Non-EU 24,900 24,400 39,100 21,300 20,400 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Allocations to Accession Country nationals are included as non-EU between January-April, then EU from May.
	3. Not all National Insurance Numbers allocated by DWP are registered on NIRS2 e.g those allocated to pensioners.
	4. Details from June 2004 to May 2005 are not yet available.
	Source:
	Supplied to DWP by Inland Revenue from the National Insurance Recording System (NIRS2)
	Most citizens born in the United Kingdom receive their National Insurance Number (NINO) automatically at age 15-years and nine months through a link with the Inland Revenue Child Benefit system. Approximately 700,000 NINOs are allocated each year through this process.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners are (a) in receipt of carer's allowance and (b) have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance; and what proportion each represents of all pensioners.

Maria Eagle: The requested information is in the table.
	
		Carer's allowance: recipients and "underlying entitlement" cases of state pension age in Great Britain at 31 August 2004
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Number of recipients 23,235 
			 Number of recipients as a percentage of all pensioners 0.2 
			 Number of underlying entitlement cases 197,305 
			 Number of underlying entitlement cases as a  percentage of all pensioners 1.8 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. State pension age is currently 60 for females and 65 for males.
	2. CA is paid in full to people of state pension age who do not have a state pension or at a reduced "top up" rate where state pension is paid at a lower weekly rate than CA. CA is not paid where the weekly rate of state pension equals or exceeds the weekly rate of CA. Such cases are known as "underlying entitlement" cases.
	3. The percentages of pensioner population have been calculated using ONS mid 2003 population estimates for males aged 65 and over and females aged 60 and over in GB.
	Source:
	IAD Information Centre, 100 per cent. sample. Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and percentages to one decimal place.

Pensions

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in receipt of pension credit are (a) in receipt of carer's allowance and (b) have an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance; how many receive the carer's allowance; and what proportion they represents of all recipients in each case.

Maria Eagle: The information is given in the table. At 31 August 2004 there were a total of 429,600 recipients of carer's allowance.
	
		Pension credit recipients also in receipt of or with an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance, Great Britain, 31 August 2004
		
			  Households in receipt of pension credit As a percentage of all pension credit households Individual recipients of pension credit As a percentage of all individual pension credit recipients 
		
		
			 In receipt of carer's allowance 13,690 0.5 22,870 0.7 
			 With an underlying entitlement to carer's allowance 76,430 2.9 125,240 4.0 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Data has been taken as at August 2004, the latest date for which the relevant carer's allowance figures are available.
	2. Figures are rounded to the nearest five.
	3. Figures for households in receipt of pension credit also in receipt of or with underlying entitlement to carer's allowance (i.e. the figures in the second column) exclude cases where the person to whom the pension credit award has been made is not the same as the person to whom the award of carers allowance has been made (i.e. where the partner of the pension credit recipient is in receipt of or with underlying entitlement to carer's allowance).
	4. Individual recipients may include a small number of partners under the age of 60.
	5. Carer's allowance is paid to people of state pension age where there is no entitlement to state pension or where state pension is paid at a lower rate than carer's allowance. If a low state pension is paid, a reduced rate of carer's allowance will be paid as a top-up.
	6. Carer's allowance is not paid where the weekly rate of state pension equals or exceeds the weekly rate of carer's allowance. Such cases are known as "underlying entitlement" cases.
	Source :
	IAD Information Directorate, 100 per cent. sample.